THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 

GIFT  OF 


TRAVEL  IN  THE  TWO 
LAST  CENTURIES  OF 
THREE  GENERATIONS 


SKI-RUNS    IN 
THE  HIGH  ALPS 

BY  F.   F.  ROGET,  S.A.C. 

With  Maps,  Pen  and  Ink  Illustrations, 
and  Colour  Drawings  by  L.  M.  CRISP, 

Cloth  10s.  6d.  net. 

T.  FISHER  UNWIN        LONDON 


PETER    ROMILLY. 
(1712-84  ) 


SIR    SAMUEL    ROMILLY. 
(1757-1818  ) 


PETER    MARK    ROGET. 
(1779-1869) 


JOHX    LEWIS    ROGET. 

(1828-1908.) 


Frontispiece. 


TRAVEL  IN  THE  TWO 
LAST  CENTURIES  OF 
THREE  GENERATIONS 

Edited  by  S.  R.  ROGET,  M.A. 


ILLUSTRATED 


T.     FISHER      UNWIN     LTD 
LONDON :      ADELPHI      TERRACE 


First  published  in  1921 


(All  rights  reserved) 


College 
Library 
T' 
919 


PREFACE 

TRAVELLING  on  the  Continent  and  in 
this  country,  apart  from  its  temporary 
dislocation  by  the  war,  is  a  matter  of  ease, 
convenience  and  speed  nowadays,  and  it  is  inter- 
esting to  look  back  upon  the  conditions  under 
which  our  grandfathers  made  their  journeys,  and 
the  way  in  which  their  travelling  experiences 
reflected  the  historical  situation  of  the  times. 
Crossing  the  Channel  in  the  days  of  the  sailing 
ship  was  no  light  matter,  and  the  stage  coach 
was  a  very  different  means  of  travel  from  the 
railway  carriage  and  the  motor-car  of  to-day. 

The  editor  has  the  good  fortune  to  possess, 
among  family  papers,  several  records  of  journeys 
in  England  and  abroad  undertaken  by  his  parents, 
grandparents  and  great-grandparents,  and  ventures 
to  put  some  selections  of  them  forward  in  these 
pages  as  glimpses  of  the  altering  travel  conditions 
from  the  period  before  to  the  latter  part  of  the 
nineteenth  century,  and  as  interesting  sidelights  on 
European  history  during  these  changing  times. 
Some  of  the  journeys  are  peaceful  and  uneventful, 
but  one  nearly  ended  in  disaster.  All  are  true  con- 
temporary records  by  members  of  the  same  family  ; 


6         TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

none  were  written  with  the  idea  of  publication  and 
no  attempt  has  been  made  to  improve  upon  them, 
although  a  little  condensation  has  been  made, 
and,  here  and  there,  historical  notes  have  been 
added.  The  opportunity  has  also  been  taken  of 
including  a  few  contemporary  illustrations  partly 
from  the  pen  and  pencil  of  the  editor's  father.  It 
has  not  been  the  object  to  present  examples  of 
every  successive  form  of  travel  nor  to  compete 
in  interest  with  accounts  of  more  extended  or 
more  exciting  voyages.  The  editor's  desire  has 
been  simply  to  uncover  to  his  friend  the  reader 
some  pictures  that  he  happens  to  have,  with  the 
invitation,  "Come  and  look  if  you  can  spare  a 
few  minutes." 


CONTENTS 


PAGB 

PREFACE       ......  4      5 

CHAPTER  I 
1779-83  :  JOURNEYS  TO  AND  PROM  SWITZERLAND        .    11 

CHAPTER  II 

1783  :  A  JOURNEY  PROM  LAUSANNE  TO  LONDON    .  32 

CHAPTER  III 

1793  :  A   COACH  JOURNEY  FROM  LONDON  TO   EDIN- 
BURGH   .  .  .  .  .  .48 

CHAPTER  IV 
1802  :  LONDON  TO  GENEVA  THROUGH  PARIS     .  .    62 

CHAPTER  V 
1803 :  THE  ESCAPE  PROM  IMPRISONMENT          .  .    89 

CHAPTER  VI 
1818  :  A  TOUR  IN  THH  UNITED  STATES  .  .  136 

CHAPTER  VII 

1820-40 :  THE    TRANSITION    PERIOD  :    A    VISIT    TO 

PARIS     .  .  .  .  .  .158 

CHAPTER  VIII 

1844  :  A  TOUR  ON  THE  CONTINENT  .  .  .   173 

T 


8          TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

CHAPTER  IX 

PAGJE 

1851 :  A  WALKING  TOUR  IN  THE  EIFEL  AND  MOSELLE 

DISTRICTS          .....  208 

CHAPTER  x 
1855 :  PARIS    DURING    THE    CRIMEAN    WAR,    AND    A 

TRIP  TO  HOLLAND       .  .  .-          .  228 

CHAPTER  XI 
1872  :  FRANCE  AFTER  THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR    .  240 

POSTSCRIPT  .......  245 

INDEX  .  251 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

PORTRAITS  OF  MR.  PETER  ROMILLY,  SIR  SAMUEL 
ROMILLY,  DR.  P.  M.  ROGET  AND  MR.  J.  L. 
ROGET  .  .  .  .  .  Frontispiece 

VIQ.  FACING  FAttE 

1.  ARRIVAL  OF  AN  OLD-FASHIONED  FRENCH  DILIGENCE    30 

(from  a  painting) 

2.  A   COACH    OF    THE    END    OF    THE    EIGHTEENTH 

CENTURY       .  .  .  .  .  .60 

The  "Farnham  Fly"  leaving  "La  Belle  Sauvage" 

3.  DOVER  AT  Low  TIDE,  1816    .  .  .  .64 

4.  PARIS  IN  1802  (RUE  ST.  DENIS)        .  .  .70 

(After  Girtin) 

5.  FACSIMILE  OF  ACTUAL  PASSPORT  WHICH  ENABLED 

DR.  ROGET  TO  LEAVE  GENEVA  IN  1803  .  .  118 

6.  EARLY  STEAM  PACKET  AT  DOVER,  1822      .  .  158 

(From  an  engraving  after  Turner) 

7.  IN  THE  LATER  DAYS  OF  THE  MAIL  COACH  .  170 

The  "  Bedford  Times "  changing  horses  at  the  old  "  White  Lion," 
Finchley,  1830 

8.  ON  THE  ANTWERP  BOAT,  1844  .  .  .  178 

9.  PORTER  AT  ANTWERP,  1844    ....  178 

10.  GERMAN  STUDENTS  AT  COLOGNE,  1844        .  .  178 

11.  BERNESE  COSTUMES,  1844       ....  178 

12.  MALMEDY,  1851  .  .  208 

13.  PEASANTS  AT  GEROLSTEIN,  1851        .  .  212 


10        TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

FIO.  FACING  PAGE 

14.  PARTY  OF  PILGRIMS  NEAR  PBLM,  1851        .  .  212 

15.  HERR  PANTENBURG  (NIEDER  MANDERSHIED),  1851  212 

16.  GERMAN  GENTLEMAN  ON  HIS  WAY  TO  THE  GREAT 

EXHIBITION  OF  1851  ....  212 

17.  THE  WOLF  INN,  WITTLICH,  1851  .  .  .214 

18.  BERNCASTEL,  1851        .           .  .  .  .216 

19.  COCHEM,  1851    .           .           .  .  .  .218 

20.  PRUSSIAN  AND  AUSTRIAN  SOLDIERS,  MAYENCE,  1851  230 

21.  FRENCH  SOLDIERS,  1855          .  .  .  .230 

22.  DUTCH  CUSTOMS  OFFICER,  1855  .  .  .  230 

23.  SCHEVENINGEN  FlSHWOMEN,  1855  .  .  .  230 

24.  DUTCH  WOMEN,  PURMEREND,  1855  .  .  .  236 

25.  CHEESE  MARKET,  ALKMAAR,  1855  .  .  .  236 


TRAVEL   IN    THE   TWO    LAST 
CENTURIES 

CHAPTER  I 

1779-83  : 

JOURNEYS    TO   AND    FROM 
SWITZERLAND 

BEFORE  plunging  into  the  accounts  of  travels 
by  the  three  past  generations,  which  it  is 
the  main  purpose  of  this  volume  to  reproduce, 
a  few  words  may  be  given  to  explain  who  were 
the  actors  in  the  first  scenes  which  we  are  about 
to  recall.  The  first  journey  to  which  we  shall 
refer  was  made  by  the  present  editor's  great- 
grandfather, Rev.  Jean  Roget,  and  his  wife,  Mrs. 
Catherine  Roget,  from  England  to  Geneva  in  1779. 
It  should  be  remarked  that  this  Jean  Roget, 
who  was  born  in  1751  of  a  Genevese  family  of 
Huguenot  origin,  came  first  to  England  as  a 
Minister  at  a  French  Protestant  church  in  London. 
He  married  (in  1778)  the  daughter  of  a  member 
of  his  congregation,  Miss  Catherine  Romilly,  whose 
father,  Peter  Romilly  (1712-84),  was  a  jeweller, 
also  of  Huguenot  descent,  living  in  Marylebone. 
Catherine  Romilly,  who  was  born  in  1755,  was 


12        TRAVEL   IN  TWO   CENTURIES 

the  sister  of  the  famous  Sir  Samuel  Romilly 
(1757-1818).  Portraits  of  Sir  Samuel  Romilly  and 
his  father  are  included  in  the  collection  forming 
our  frontispiece,  but  unfortunately  no  portrait 
of  either  Jean  Roget  or  Catherine  Roget  is 
available. 

This  is  not  the  place  to  enlarge  upon  the 
history  of  the  distinguished  family  of  Romilly, 
to  which  many  able  pens l  have  done  tribute, 
but  it  should  be  pointed  out  that  Mrs.  Catherine 
Roget  was  descended  on  both  sides  from  Huguenot 
families,  for  her  mother  was  a  member  of  the 
family  of  Garnault,  also  French  Protestant 
refugees  (coming  originally  from  Chatellerault  in 
Poitou). 

The  Romillys  established  themselves  in  England 
at  their  first  migration  from  France,  but  the 
Rogets  transferred  their  home  to  Geneva.  Jean 
Roget  was  the  first  to  take  up  residence  in 
England,  but  this  country  was  not  his  home 
for  long,  for  a  few  months  after  the  birth  of  his 
son  Peter  Mark  Roget  (January  18,  1779)  ill 
health  caused  him  to  seek  once  more  his  native 
land,  whither  he  made  the  painful  journey  later 

1  In  addition  to  The  Memoirs  of  the  Life  of  Sir  Samuel  Romilly 
(written  by  himself,  edited  by  his  sons,  and  published  in  1840), 
attention  should  be  called  to  a  charming  Life  of  Romilly  by  Sir 
William  Collins  and  some  interesting  Romilly  Notes  by  Mr.  Henry 
Wagner,  both  in  vol.  viii  (No.  4)  of  the  Proceedings  of  the  Huguenot 
Society  of  London,  and  a  pedigree  of  the  Garnault  family  in  vol.  xi 
(No.  1)  of  the  same  publication.  More  recently  a  Life  of  Sir  Samuel 
Romilly,  by  C.  M.  Atkinson  and  J.  E.  Mitchell,  has  been  published. 


TO    AND   FROM    SWITZERLAND       13 

in  that  year  to  which  we  refer  in  more  detail 
below.  The  infant  son,  who  was  left  behind 
with  his  grandparents,  was  destined  to  become 
well  known  to  many  as  the  originator  of  Roget's 
Thesaurus  of  English  Words  and  Phrases  and 
as  a  versatile  author  of  scientific  papers.  Jean 
Roget's  increasing  illness  caused  him  to  resign 
his  ministry  in  1781.  He  was  not  long  to  be 
spared,  for  at  the  early  age  of  thirty-two,  yet 
in  the  prime  of  an  intellectual  vigour  of  no 
ordinary  calibre,  he  left  his  devoted  wife  a  widow 
with  two  young  children.  During  this  period 
he  continued  to  be  an  earnest  thinker  on 
political  and  social  matters,  and  such  topics 
provided  much  of  the  subject-matter  of  a  corre- 
spondence between  him  and  his  brother-in-law, 
Samuel  Romilly.  Part  of  this  is  published  in 
the  first  volume  of  The  Memoirs  of  the  Life  of 
Sir  Samuel  Romilly,  while  a  collection  of  some 
of  Roget's  letters  to  Romilly  has  been  pub- 
lished in  the  original  French  (edited  by  Pro- 
fessor F.  F.  Roget  of  Geneva)  under  the  title 
of  Les  Affaires  de  Geneve  1780-1783,  Lettres  de 
Jean  Roget,  Ministre  de  VEglise  de  Geneve.  In 
these  letters  and  others  which  passed  between 
these  two  and  Etienne  Dumont,  who  was  a 
close  friend  of  both,  was  elaborated  much  of 
the  liberal  thought  of  the  time  regarding  the 
relations  between  England  and  her  American 
colonies  and  the  times  preceding  the  French 
Revolution.  Roget's  letters  contain  a  full  account 


14        TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

of  the  events  in  Geneva  which  led  up  to  the 
local  revolution  which  occurred  there  in  1782, 
and  may  be  regarded  in  some  ways  as  a  small 
precursor  of  the  great  Revolution  yet  to  come 
in  France.  The  correspondence  also  shows  the 
strong  influence  which  Jean  Roget  exercised  over 
the  formation  of  the  character  of  Sir  Samuel 
Romilly. 

A  few  of  the  letters  written  during  Jean 
Roget's  journey  back  to  his  native  country  in 
1779  in  search  of  renewed  health  are  still  pre- 
served. From  Dover,  just  before  the  ordeal  of 
crossing  the  Channel  in  one  of  the  primitive 
sailing  packets  of  those  days,  Mrs.  Roget  writes 
to  her  father  as  follows  : — 

"  I  have  the  happiness  to  inform  my  dear 
father  that  we  are  safely  arrived  at  Dover,  where 
we  have  just  breakfasted.  Notre  cher  Malade  is 
very  much  fatigued,  so  much  so,  that  I  have 
advised  him  to  go  to  bed,  as  the  Packet  Boat 
(after  all  our  hurry)  sets  off  but  to-morrow  morn- 
ing. It  may  perhaps  be  better,  as  I  hope  Roget 
will  be  able  to  recover  in  some  measure  from  his 
fatigue.  Bon  Dieu,  quelle  triste  soiree  nous  avons 
passee  hier.  After  my  brothers  left  us,  we  dragged 
on  with  tired  horses  as  far  as  Canterbury,  where 
we  did  not  arrive  till  almost  twelve  o'clock  at 
night ;  poor  Roget  exceedingly  tired,  and  to  add 
to  our  misfortunes  arrived  at  an  Inn  filled  with 
the  Military  Gentlemen,  a  fresh  painted  house, 


TO    AND    FROM    SWITZERLAND       15 

no  fire,  no  chairs,  no  supper.  We  stayed  by 
the  kitchen  fire  till  our  beds  were  ready ;  and 
glad  we  were  to  embrace  our  pillows.  Called 
at  half -past  five  (not  waked,  for  the  noise  and 
confusion  prevented  our  sleeping).  Really  they 
have  no  soul  of  compassion.  For  all  our  hurry, 
it  has  come  to  sleeping  here  a  day  when  we 
might  have  made  our  journey  quite  agreeable. 
I  write  this  while  I  flatter  myself  man  cher  epoux 
is  enjoying  a  little  sleep.  You  must  not  expect, 
my  dear  father,  any  account  of  the  places  I  go 
through,  as  I  never  leave  him,  and  till  he  gets 
better  mean  to  be  his  constant  companion.  .  .  . 
Next  letter  I  hope  will  bring  you  good  news  of 
our  passage.  I  expect  a  very  uncomfortable 
voyage,  as  I  shall  be  uneasy  lest  the  sea-sickness 
should  be  productive  of  bringing  on  his  com- 
plaint. Really,  I  pray  heartily  I  may  be  mon- 
strous sick,  that  I  may  lose  all  feeling  and  com- 
passion (for  an  unquiet  mind  is  the  worst  of 
maladies).  I  believe  it  is  the  very  first  time  I 
ever  wished  to  be  void  of  all  tenderness  for  those 
I  love.  Our  two  companions  are  very  agreeable 
men ;  one  is  going  to  Orbe,  the  other  to  Geneva 
.  .  .  they  are  both  Englishmen  and  know  very 
little  French.  I  have  promised  to  be  their  inter- 
preter. It  is  really  farce,  when  I  speak  so  miser- 
ably myself.  You  will  excuse  if  I  am  shorter  in 
my  epistles  from  Calais,  etc.,  as  I  don't  wish  to 
have  so  good  an  opportunity  to  write  again,  for 
this  is  delaying  our  journey  of  a  whole  day. 


16        TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

These  betes  here  have  demanded  five  shillings 
each  passenger,  with  an  excuse  that  it  is  cus- 
tomary to  give  with  the  past  Port  (sic).  I  expect 
many  of  these  kind  of  tricks  before  we  leave 
Calais.  .  .  .  The  packet-boat  is  to  set  off  to- 
morrow morning.  I  am  myself  very  well  in 
health,  and  in  Dover  as  in  London  and  every 
quarter  of  the  world  your  dutiful  affectionate 
daughter  C.  ROGET." 

We  have  no  account  of  the  details  of  the 
crossing,  for  the  next  letter  that  is  preserved  is 
dated  from  Aire  on  June  7th.  It  is  given  almost 
in  full  below  : — 

"  I  write  to  you  as  often  as  I  can,  my  dear  father, 
as  I  know  you  must  wish  much  to  hear  how  we 
go  on.  We  do  not  mend  apace,  but  hope  Roget 
is  not  worse  for  our  journey  so  far,  yet  I  am  often 
very  uneasy  .  .  .  and  it  is  a  long  way  to  Geneva. 
We  are  but  little  advanced  through  the  careless- 
ness of  Mons.  Comte,  who  with  trifling  excuses 
detained  us  at  Calais  all  day  yesterday.  We  are 
little  content  with  him  as  (par  bonheur,  it  was  not 
our  coach)  he  put  such  horses  in  the  voiture  that 
ran  away,  threw  the  driver  and  much  frightened 
the  poor  lady ;  indeed  the  whole  morning  was 
disagreeable,  for  they  were  obliged  to  walk  aside 
the  horses,  they  went  so  bad.  Yet  (what  I  did  not 
expect)  we  are  at  last  arrived  at  Aire.  We  dined 
at  St.  Omer,  a  pretty  neat  town.  I  went  to  see 
one  of  the  churches. 


TO    AND    FROM    SWITZERLAND      17 

We  are  not  to  go  to  Lisle,  as  was  first  proposed, 
but  are  to  cut  across  a  shorter  route.  On  that 
condition,  I  do  not  regret  not  seeing  much  of  Lisle. 
You  must  think,  my  dear  father,  situated  as  I 
am,  what  a  desire  I  have  to  arrive  at  our  journey's 
end.  .  .  .  Our  table  since  we  are  in  France  is 
elegant,  two  courses  and  a  dessert,  excellent  soup 
and  bouillie,  but  miss  the  good  bread  and  beer 
in  England.  Supper  is  ready.  My  dear  father 
will  permit  me  to  wish  him  bon  soir,  as  I  am 
very  tired.  .  .  .  From  your  affectionate  daughter 
CATH.  ROGET." 

She  was,  however,  doomed  to  be  sadly  dis- 
appointed, for  in  great  grief  she  wrote  next 
from  St.  Dezier,  on  June  14th,  in  these 
words  :— 

"  Many  are  the  unhappy  moments  I  have  passed 
since  I  wrote  to  you  last,  my  dear  father.  Roget 
has  been  exceedingly  ill  ...  yet  we  have  not 
stopped  in  our  journey,  though  every  night  I 
thought  it  would  be  impossible  to  go  on  in  the 
morning.  Judge  then  of  the  uneasiness  and 
anxiety  I  go  through.  Heaven  protect  us  to  the 
end  of  our  journey,  which  I  think  never  can  arrive 
fast  enough.  I  should  not  have  had  spirits  to 
have  wrote  thus,  were  it  not  for  the  kind  conso- 
lation I  have  received  from  the  surgeon  who  has 
just  bled  Roget.  He  assures  me  the  journey  is 
of  service  to  him.  .  .  .  But  to  be  sick  on  a 

2 


18        TRAVEL   IN  TWO   CENTURIES 

journey  is  a  melancholy  situation;  it  is  seldom  you 
can  find  half  you  wish  for,  then  the  continual  fear 
that  perhaps  you  may  be  left  here  without  friend, 
without  advice ;  what  have  I  not  suffered  from 
those  unhappy  thoughts  which  have  haunted  my 
mind  since  our  leaving  of  Calais.  I  shall  love 
Geneva  to  my  heart  if  it  restores  him  his  health 
again.  I  endeavour  to  cast  off  all  dull  thoughts, 
at  least  in  appearance.  It  is  unfortunate  that 
there  is  no  woman  of  our  party,  for  I  do  not  call 
that  melancholy  lady  one ;  she  scarcely  lives,  and 
three  words  is  more  than  in  general  she  favours 
us  with.  I  at  first  pitied  her  and  tried  every 
means  to  induce  her  to  talk,  but  all  in  vain.  Our 
two  gentlemen,  young  and  merry,  at  first  pleased 
much.  I  myself  (thinking  Roget  much  better) 
was  in  tolerable  spirits,  now  their  laughing  dis- 
pleases me.  The  good  Doctor  has  just  entered 
again ;  he  has  advised  Roget  to  rest  a  day.  All 
the  company  has  willingly  consented  that  we 
set  off  not  till  Wednesday.  .  .  .  Your  affectionate 
Dutiful  children  CATH.  &  J.  ROGET." 

The  letter  finally  announcing  their  arrival  at 
Geneva  has  not  come  down  to  us ;  but  another 
letter  of  June  25th  (1779)  begins  in  a  less  melan- 
choly vein,  as  follows  :— 

V 

"  Dear  and  honor 'd  Father,  I  wish  to  repair 
the  many  scrawls  of  bad  news  I  have  sent  you 
by  informing  you  Roget  is  something  better." 


TO    AND    FROM    SWITZERLAND      19 

This  letter  also  contains  the  following  passage  : — 

"  I  believe  I  did  not  tell  you  in  my  last  that 
the  evening  we  arrived  the  whole  city  was  in 
confusion,  as  there  was  a  great  fire  in  the  town 
near  the  hospital.  It  is  the  custom  here  on  such 
occasions  that  every  private  gentleman,  etc.,  arm 
themselves,  to  keep  the  populace  off,  that  none  may 
be  near  the  place  but  those  that  can  be  of  service 
to  extinguish  the  flames.  The  gates  are  imme- 
diately shut,  and  they,  very  fortunately  for  us, 
were  ordered  to  be  opened  about  a  minute  before 
we  arrived,  otherwise,  ill  as  Roget  was,  we  must 
have  waited  till  the  fire  was  put  out.  There  were 
a  great  many  carts,  coaches,  etc.,  waiting ;  the  town 
was  like  a  fair  on  our  entrance." 

There  is  no  need  to  follow  the  movements  of 
the  Rogets  further  in  detail.  They  took  up  their 
residence  later  in  Lausanne,  which  remained  their 
headquarters  until  Jean  Roget 's  death.  In  the 
meantime  it  was  realized  that  there  was  no  prospect 
of  an  early  return  to  England,  and  on  June  16,  1781, 
Samuel  Romilly  set  out  for  Switzerland  to  bring 
the  infant  child  Peter  Mark  to  his  parents.  In 
his  Memoirs,  Romilly  writes  of  this  journey  as 
follows : — 

4  My  most  affectionate  father  had  grown  dotingly 
fond  of  his  little  grandson,  and  though  he  would 
reluctantly  resign  him  into  the  hand  of  my  poor 


20        TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

sister,  who,  in  a  foreign  country,  and  with  a  sick 
husband,  stood  in  need  of  such  a  consolation,  yet 
he  would  not  consent  to  commit  his  little  charge 
to  the  care  only  of  strangers  or  of  a  servant  for 
so  long  a  journey.  I  offered,  therefore,  to  convey 
him,  and  to  deliver  him  into  the  hands  of  his 
parents  ;  and  this  offer  was  very  thankfully  on 
all  sides  accepted. 

His  nursery  maid  was  of  course  to  go  with  him, 
and  as  the  best  mode  of  conveyance  for  such  a 
party,  and  the  most  economical,  we  put  ourselves 
under  the  care  of  one  of  those  Swiss  voituriers, 
who  were  at  that  time  in  the  habit  of  convoying 
parties  of  six  or  eight  persons  to  any  part  of 
Switzerland.  Our  party  consisted  of  seven :  a 
Mr.  Bird,  who  was  going  to  Turin  ;  a  Mr.  Barde, 
a  Genevese  ;  a  young  man  of  the  name  of  Brough- 
ton  ;  a  little  effeminate  Englishman  whose  name 
I  do  not  recollect ;  the  nursery  maid  ;  the  child 
and  myself.  It  was  a  time  of  war,  and  we  were 
therefore  obliged  to  pass  through  the  Low  Countries ; 
and  as  is  necessary  with  this  mode  of  travelling, 
which  is  performed  with  the  same  horses,  we  made 
short  and  easy  journeys  of  not  more  than  thirty  or 
forty  miles  a  day,  which  gave  us  an  opportunity  of 
seeing  all  the  objects  of  curiosity  that  lay  upon 
the  road.  ...  I  shall  never  forget  the  impression 
I  received  on  first  landing  at  Ostend  ;  and  after- 
wards, upon  entering  the  magnificent  city  of 
Ghent ;  every  human  creature,  every  building, 
every  object  of  superstition,  almost  everything 


TO    AND    FROM    SWITZERLAND      21 

I    beheld,   attracted   my   notice    and   excited   my 
curiosity. 

We  pursued  our  course  through  Brussels,  Namur, 
Longwy,  Metz,  Nancy,  Plombieres  and  Besan9on 
to  Lausanne,  where  I  safely  delivered  their  little 
boy  to  Roget  and  my  sister." 

The  following  extracts  from  a  letter  written  at 
Ostend  give  a  further  picture  of  the  journey. 
(This  letter  has  not  previously  been  published.) 

"  I  am  just  arrived,  my  dear  sister,  at  this  place 
with  your  dear  little  boy,  who  is  in  perfect  health 
and  in  excellent  spirits.  He  is  quite  delighted 
with  his  journey  ;  he  plays  till  he  is  tired  and 
then  sleeps  for  two  or  three  hours  together  upon 
the  road.  Of  all  the  passengers,  he  was  the  only 
one  who  was  not  sick  upon  our  little  voyage  and 
the  only  one  who  could  sleep  well.  His  sleep  was 
quite  as  sound  the  whole  night  as  if  he  had  been 
on  shore.  It  is  happy  it  was,  for  we  had  a  tedious 
passage  of  twenty-six  hours.  .  .  .  The  weather  is 
exceedingly  hot,  and  though  I  slept  on  board  the 
packet-boat  less  than  all  the  other  passengers, 
I  am  sitting  writing  to  you  in  my  usual  dress, 
though  my  three  male  compagnons  de  voyage  are 
all  stretched  upon  beds  round  me  without  their 
coats  and  waistcoats.  Our  manner  of  travelling 
is  the  most  agreeable  that  can  be  imagined.  We 
have  two  English  postchaises,  in  one  of  which 
arc  my  three  companions  mentioned  before,  and  in 


22        TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

the  other  Peter,  myself  and  Bell  "  (the  nursemaid). 
"  .  .  .  As  yet  it  is  uncertain  whether  we  shall 
go  through  Brussels,  Basel  and  Berne,  or  through 
BesanQon,  or  else  through  Lisle  and  Rheims." 
(The  actual  route  adopted  is  given  above.) 

"  Don't  be  surprised  that  my  letter  is  so  greasy. 
As  I  was  writing  it  at  the  window  a  sudden  breeze 
took  it  and  carried  it  into  the  street,  and  a  little 
dirty  boy,  taking  it,  I  suppose,  to  contain  matters 
of  great  importance  to  the  Emperor  his  Master, 
seized  it  and,  in  spite  of  all  the  signs  I  could  make, 
ran  away  with  it.  I  pursued  him  down  two  streets 
into  his  house,  where  he  gave  it  to  his  father,  a 
soldier,  from  whom  I  fortunately  rescued  it. 

June  20th. — We  still  remain  at  this  place  waiting 
for  our  baggage,  which  we  could  not  get  out  of 
the  packet-boat  last  night  because  the  tide  was 
gone  out." 

Romilly's  return  journey  was  made  via  Lyons 
and  Paris.  On  the  way  a  visit  was  paid  to  the 
Monastery  of  the  Grand  Chartreuse  near  Grenoble, 
where  he  and  the  party  with  which  he  was  travelling 
were  snow-bound  for  some  days.  The  following 
is  extracted  from  a  letter  written  thence  by  Romilly 
(published  in  the  first  volume  of  his  Memoirs, 
p.  171) :- 

"  This  is  but  the  third  day  that  I  find  myself 
in  this  monastery,  and  I  seem  already  to  have 


TO    AND    FROM    SWITZERLAND       23 

inhabited  it  for  years.  The  sight  of  the  same 
objects  and  of  the  same  faces,  and  the  precise 
order  which  reigns  here,  soon  destroys  the  novelty 
of  the  life  of  a  recluse  ;  and  I  can  hardly  persuade 
myself,  since  I  have  been  in  this  place,  that  I  am 
ever  to  quit  it.  It  was  dusk  when  we  arrived, 
and  we  were  so  much  fatigued  with  our  journey 
that  we  paid  little  attention  to  anything  but 
the  hospitality  of  our  religious  hosts  and  the 
excellent  supper  they  set  before  us.  As  for  myself, 
when  I  was  shown  into  my  chamber,  I  was  so 
overwhelmed  with  drowsiness  that  I  took  notice 
of  nothing  in  it  but  a  bed,  into  which  I  threw  my- 
self with  the  impatience  of  a  weary  traveller.  The 
next  morning,  after  a  slumber  of  nine  hours  without 
interruption,  except  once  indeed  that  I  was  waked 
by  the  melancholy  bell  which  summons  the 
fathers  to  the  midnight  service,  I  found  myself 
lying  on  a  small  wooden  bed,  in  a  cell  paved  with 
tiles,  and  furnished  only  with  two  wooden  chairs 
and  a  desk  for  prayer,  over  which  hung  a  very 
indifferent  print  of  the  passion  of  our  Saviour. 
My  window  looked  over  the  spacious  courtyard 
before  the  house,  which  was  vast  but  solitary ; 
the  grass  grew  between  the  stones,  and  in  the  midst 
stood  two  fountains,  the  melancholy  splashing  of 
whose  waters  alone  interrupted  the  deep  silence. 
The  aspect  of  the  country  was  well  suited  to  the 
building,  and  presented  to  the  view  a  dreary 
mountain  rising  above,  one  end  wholly  covered 
with  woods  of  gloomy  pine.  I  quitted  my  little 


24       TRAVEL    IN    TWO    CENTURIES 

cell  to  walk  about  the  house  of  this  solitary  com- 
munity. Every  object  struck  me  with  awe  and 
respect.  As  I  walked  through  the  long  cloisters, 
nothing  broke  the  profound  silence  of  the  convent 
but  the  sound  of  my  steps  on  the  pavement,  faintly 
echoed  by  the  vaulted  roof.  The  cloister  led  me 
by  a  small  burial-ground  in  the  midst  of  the 
building,  where  a  number  of  tombstones  in  the 
form  of  crosses  were  placed  in  a  kind  of  irregular 
order,  some  high,  some  low,  some  new,  some  old, 
others  mouldering  away  and  broken  or  fallen  down 
and  with  inscriptions  scarce  legible.  This  is  the 
burial-place  of  the  Generals  ;  and  they  are  never 
permitted  to  be  far  distant  from  it  after  their 
elevation  to  the  supremacy  of  their  order  ;  for  the 
General  must  not  step  beyond  the  precincts  of 
the  monastery.  I  began  to  read  the  inscriptions, 
and  while  I  was  remarking  the  very  advanced  age 
to  which  a  life  abstemious,  even  to  excess,  had 
been  prolonged  by  these  venerable  fathers,  and 
was  observing  the  slight  distinctions  which  some 
of  them  derived  from  the  addition  of  a  few  years 
to  their  uniform  lives,  or  by  having  died,  some  in 
the  present  century  and  some  three  hundred  years 
ago,  I  heard  the  distant  steps  of  some  person  in 
the  cloister.  I  quitted  the  cemetery  to  see  who 
it  might  be  ;  a  white  figure  at  a  considerable 
distance  was  advancing  towards  me  ;  it  was  one 
of  the  fathers.  I  walked  to  meet  him,  and 
should  have  spoken  to  him  ;  but  he  had  arrived 
at  the  door  of  his  cell,  which  opened  into  the 


TO    AND    FROM    SWITZERLAND      25 

cloister :  he  entered  and  shut  the  door.  I  re- 
proached myself  for  having  forgotten  that  the 
fathers  are  not  permitted  to  speak,  and  for  having 
exposed  him  to  the  temptation  of  opening  his 
lips  ;  for  he  seemed  in  that  instant  to  regret  that 
the  laws  of  his  order  imposed  silence  on  him. 
The  falling  to  of  the  heavy  door  rang  through  the 
building,  and  left  an  awful  impression  on  my  mind. 
In  imagination  I  followed  this  venerable  monk  into 
his  cell.  I  fancied  myself,  like  him,  imprisoned 
from  the  world,  and  separated  from  the  grave  by 
nothing  but  the  unvaried  round  of  fasts  and 
prayers  ;  and  that  I  should  never  quit  my  cell, 
except  to  rehearse  the  vigils  in  the  chapel,  to  eat 
one  weekly  meal  in  silence  with  my  brethren,  or 
to  walk  about  the  lonely  mountain,  till  I  was 
carried  into  my  tomb." 

Regarding  the  departure  from  the  Grand  Char- 
treuse, Romilly  writes  in  his  Memoirs  as  follows  : — 

"  Amongst  the  travellers  collected  together  there 
were  two  young  French  officers  ;  one  of  whom  was 
going  to  Lyons,  and  I  joined  his  company.  We 
proceeded  together  on  mules  to  Grenoble,  and 
there  hired  a  cabriolet  which  conveyed  us  to 
Lyons.  At  that  place  we  parted,  and  I  proceeded 
to  Paris  in  the  diligence  or  messagerie,  a  large 
carriage  containing  eight  inside  passengers  ;  not 
a  very  convenient  or  a  very  elegant  conveyance, 
but  one  which  was  well  suited  to  mv  humble  cir- 


26        TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

cumstances,  and  in  which  much  more  is  to  be 
learnt  of  the  manners  of  a  people  than  by  being 
shut  up  in  a  commodious  English  carriage  and 
travelling  post.  Arrived  at  Paris,  I  left  my  luggage 
at  the  Bureau  des  diligences,  and  set  off  on  foot 
to  inquire  my  way  through  the  streets  for  an 
hotel  at  the  other  end  of  the  town  to  which  I  had 
got  a  direction.  .  .  I  returned  to  London  by  way 
of  Lisle  and  Ostend,  still  travelling  in  public 
carriages." 

A  letter  dated  Ostende,  Nov.  10,  1781  (the 
original  of  which  is  in  the  present  writer's  posses- 
sion), commences  : — 

"  Once  better  than  my  word,  I  write  to  you, 
my  dear  Roget,  from  this  place,  though  I  did 
not  give  you  reason  to  expect  to  hear  from  me 
till  I  should  have  arrived  at  London ;  but  I 
deserve  no  thanks  for  this  letter,  for  it  is  the 
fruits  of  the  most  irksome  leisure  which  an 
unfavourable  wind  inflicts  on  me,  by  confining  me 
to  this  place.  ..." 

A  further  portion  of  the  same  letter  describes 
some  impressions  received  in  passing  through 
France.  We  will  content  ourselves  with  quoting 
the  following: — 

"  At  Versailles  I  assisted  at  the  Mass.  The 
service  was  very  short,  though  it  was  on  a  Sunday  ; 


TO    AND    FROM    SWITZERLAND      27 

for  kings  are  so  highly  respected  in  that  country 
that  even  Religion  appoints  for  them  less  tedious 
ceremonies  than  it  imposes  on  the  people.  The 
moment  his  Majesty  appeared,  the  drums  beat 
and  shook  the  temple,  as  if  it  had  been  intended 
to  announce  the  approach  of  a  conqueror.  During 
the  whole  time  of  Mass  the  choristers  sang,  some- 
times single  parts,  sometimes  in  chorus.  In  the 
front  seats  of  the  galleries  were  ranged  the  ladies 
of  the  Court,  glowing  with  rouge  and  gorgeously 
apparelled,  to  enjoy  and  form  part  of  the  showy 
spectacle.  The  King  laughed  and  spied  at  the 
ladies ;  every  eye  was  fixed  on  the  personages 
of  the  Court,  every  ear  was  attentive  to  the  notes 
of  the  singers,  while  the  priest,  who  in  the  mean- 
time went  on  in  the  exercise  of  his  office,  was 
unheeded  by  all  present.  Even  when  the  Host 
was  lifted  up,  none  observed  it ;  and  if  the  people 
knelt,  it  was  because  they  were  admonished  by 
the  ringing  of  the  bell ;  and  even  in  that  attitude, 
all  were  endeavouring  to  get  a  glimpse  of  the  King. 
How  can  a  King  of  France  ever  be  brought  to 
regard  his  subjects  as  his  equals,  when,  even 
before  the  throne  of  heaven,  he  maintains  so 
high  a  superiority  over  all  around  him  ?  What 
an  idea  must  he  not  conceive  of  his  own  impor- 
tance, when  he  thus  sees  his  God  less  honoured 
than  himself  ? 

In    his    next    letter    (November     16,     1781)    he 
writes : — 


28        TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

"  At  last,  my  dear  Roget,  you  find  I  am  safe 
arrived  at  my  dear  home.  It  was  very  fortunate 
that  I  took  advantage  of  the  first  favourable 
moment  which  presented  itself  for  crossing  the 
sea,  as  the  wind  has  been  contrary  ever  since,  and 
there  are  at  present  no  less  than  four  mails  due." 

This  letter  contains  a  further  interesting  picture 
of  pre-Revolution  Paris,  in  an  account  of  the 
rejoicings  on  the  birth  of  the  Dauphin,  which 
happened  while  Romilly  was  in  Paris. 

"  The  day  the  Dauphin  was  born,"  he  writes,  "an 
order  was  posted  up  in  all  the  streets,  enjoining 
the  citizens  to  illuminate  their  houses  for  three 
successive  nights  and  to  shut  up  their  shops, 
and  commanding  the  officers  of  the  police  to  look 
to  the  execution  of  this  order.  Who  would  have 
thought  that  a  people  so  famous  for  their  fond 
attachment  to  their  kings  could  have  needed  such 
an  order!  an  order  which,  even  when  rendered 
necessary  by  the  disloyalty  of  a  nation,  can  never 
answer  any  purpose,  unless  it  be  to  lull  a  feeble 
government  into  a  childish  joy  by  an  outward 
show  of  happiness,  by  making  an  oppressed  and 
discontented  nation  for  a  moment  act  the  part 
of  a  happy  and  grateful  people ! 

At  night  I  walked  about  Paris  to  see  the  illumina- 
tions ;  the  streets  were  crowded  with  people, 
and  the  public  edifices  were  well  lighted  up ; 
but  in  many  of  the  private  houses  there  appeared 


TO    AND   FROM    SWITZERLAND      29 

only  one  glimmering  lamp  at  each  window,  hung 
up,  not  in  token  of  joy,  but  of  reluctant  obedience 
to  the  Sovereign's  will ;  and  some  of  the  citizens 
were  daring  enough  not  to  illuminate  their  houses 
at  all.  In  many  of  the  squares  were  little  orchestras 
with  bands  of  music  playing  to  the  populace, 
some  of  whom  danced  about  in  wild,  irregular 
figures.  But  it  was  at  the  Place  de  Greve  that 
the  greatest  crowd  was  assembled.  The  town 
house  there  was  richly  illuminated,  a  firework 
was  played  off,  and  afterwards  the  people  were 
invited  to  dance  to  the  music  of  four  bands  in 
the  different  orchestras.  The  company,  which 
consisted  of  the  very  lowest  and  dirtiest  rabble 
in  Paris,  soon  began  to  dance  in  a  ring,  but  they 
were  noisy  rather  than  merry,  and  none  seemed 
happy,  unless  happiness  can  be  found  in  a  tumul- 
tuous oblivion.  My  opinion  of  the  Parisians,  with 
respect  to  gaiety,  is  so  different  from  that  of  all 
travellers,  that  I  hardly  dare  trust  to  it,  but  I 
must  describe  things  as  I  see  them,  and  not 
borrow  from  others  my  opinions  and  observa- 
tions." 

As  already  stated,  Jean  Roget  died  on  April 
25,  1783.  In  consequence,  Romilly  hastened  once 
more  to  Switzerland  to  bring  back  to  England 
Mrs.  Catherine  Roget,  her  son  Peter,  and  the  infant 
daughter  who  had  been  born  but  a  few  weeks 
before  Roget's  death.  Romilly  in  this  case  travelled 
via  Paris,  where  he  made  a  brief  stay.  In  a 


30        TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

letter  to  his  sister  from  Paris  (August  29,  1783)  he 
writes : — 

"  Thus  far,  my  dear  Kitty,  I  am  arrived  safe 
upon  my  journey.  ...  I  do  not  find  any  oppor- 
tunity as  I  expected  of  travelling  from  hence  to 
Geneva.  Your  friend  Mr.  Gautier  will  travel 
thither  about  the  same  time,  but  I  fear  he  is  engaged 
in  a  party  already.  If  I  should  not  within  four 
or  five  days  find  any  better  method  of  travelling, 
I  shall  resolve  to  go  in  a  diligence  to  Dijon  or  to 
Besan£on  or  Lyons,  and  so  on  to  Geneva.  ...  You 
may  expect  in  about  ten  days  from  hence  to 
hear  from  me  at  Geneva." 

> 

The  nature  of  the  old-fashioned  French  diligences 
of  about  this  period  is  shown  in  Fig.  1. 

It  happened  after  all  that  he  was  able  to  travel 
by  the  direct  road  in  company  with  Mr.  Gautier. 
Quoting  again  from  the  Memoirs  : — 

"  I  made  but  a  short  stay  at  Geneva ;  few  of 
my  best  friends  were  then  remaining  there.  The 
revolution  which  had  taken  place  had  afforded 
a  complete  triumph  to  the  aristocratical  party ; 
but  it  had  been  effected  by  the  interference  of 
France  and  by  the  terror  of  its  arms.  I  shall 
never  forget  the  burning  indignation  which  I  felt 
as  I  looked  down  upon  a  French  regiment  which 
was  mounting  guard  in  the  place  of  Bel  Air,  under 
the  windows  of  my  hotel,  and  as  I  heard  the  noise 


TO    AND    FROM    SWITZERLAND       31 

of  its  military  music,  which  seemed,   as  it  were, 
to  insult  the  ancient   liberties   of  the   Republic." 

The  return  journey  with  Mrs.  Roget  and  her 
children,  which  is  the  subject  of  the  next  chapter, 
may  be  regarded  as  the  actual  permanent  migra- 
tion of  this  branch  of  the  Roget  family  from 
Switzerland  to  England. 


CHAPTER  II 

1783: 

A     JOURNEY    FROM    LAUSANNE     TO 
LONDON 

WE  are  able  to  give  a  much  fuller  account 
of  Mrs.  Catherine  Roget's  journey  back 
to  England  than  of  the  travels  referred  to  in 
the  last  chapter,  as  she  wrote  a  diary  of  the 
whole  journey  herself.  The  account  below  is  but 
slightly  abridged  from  the  original,  and  much  of 
it,  in  addition  to  the  contrast  between  the  travelling 
conditions  then  prevalent  and  those  of  to-day, 
has  a  special  interest  in  view  of  the  later  history 
of  the  countries  traversed.  Regarding  the  route 
adopted,  Romilly  writes :  "  For  the  sake  of 
avoiding  any  of  the  places  through  which  my 
sister  passed  with  her  husband  when  she  left  the 
country,  and  which  she  thought  would  be  attended 
with  remembrances  too  painful  for  her  to  endure, 
we  made  rather  a  circuitous  journey."  The 
travellers  passed  right  through  the  Franco-German 
frontier  territory  into  Belgium  at  a  time  when, 
although  ominous  clouds  were  gathering,  the  storm 
of  the  French  Revolution  had  not  yet  burst ;  Louis 


LAUSANNE    TO    LONDON  33 

XVI  was  King  of  France  and  had  yet  ten  years 
to  live ;  Napoleon,  a  boy  of  fourteen,  was  still 
at  the  school  at  Brienne,  and  the  power  of  Prussia 
was  yet  undreamed  of. 

"  Sept.  24,  1783. — Set  out  from  Lausanne  the 

24  Sept.  Mr.  B 's  family  accompanied  us  as 

far  as  Moudon,  where  we  dined.  Moudon  is  a 
small  town  in  the  canton  of  Berne,  formerly  the 
capital  of  the  Pays  de  Vaud.  At  the  town  house 
is  an  antique  altar  with  an  inscription  not  much 
defaced  and  a  singular  cage  to  confine  delinquents, 
which  turns  on  a  pivot.  Parted  from  our  good 
friends,  continued  our  journey  to  Payerne,  where 
we  lay. 

Sept.  25. — From  Payerne,  passed  through 
Avenches.  About  half  a  mile  before  we  arrived, 
at  Morat,  is  an  ossuaire  (a  collection  of  bones 
gathered  up  after  the  battle  between  Charles  the 
Bold  and  the  Swiss).1  It  stands  on  the  bank  of 
the  lake  of  Morat.  From  Payerne  to  Morat,  tobacco 
is  much  cultivated ;  the  increased  price  of  this 
herb  occasioned  by  the  American  War  induced 

1  This  battle  was  fought  on  June  22, 1476,  when  the  Burgundians 
under  Charles  the  Bold,  numbering  some  60,000,  were  defeated 
by  about  35,000  Swiss,  and  15,000  Burgundians  were  slain.  A 
curious  story  is  told  of  how  the  news  of  the  victory  was  brought. 
A  boy  ran  with  a  branch  in  his  hand  from  Morat  to  Fribourg,  about 
ten  miles,  and  on  arrival  could  only  utter  the  one  word  "  Victory  !  " 
before  he  fell  dead.  A  slip  from  the  branch  which  he  carried  was 
planted  on  the  spot  (in  Fribourg)  where  he  fell,  and  this  grew  to 
be  the  famous  "Morat"  lime-tree,  fourteen  feet  in  circumference, 
standing  to  this  day. 

3 


34        TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

them  to  plant  it.  Morat,  where  we  dined,  is  a 
pretty  town.  The  principal  street  built  with  arcades 
in  humble  imitation  of  Berne,  the  prospect  very 
pleasing.  They  use  the  same  cage  to  inflict 
punishment  as  at  Moudon.  At  Gimenden,  two 
leagues  from  Morat,  is  a  very  singular  ,  wooden 
bridge,  tiled  over.  The  road  from  here  lies  on  a 
hill  which  commands  a  very  distant  prospect, 
from  whence  one  discovers  the  lakes  of  Neuchatel 
and  Morat.  Indeed,  all  the  way  to  Berne  the 
road  is  remarkably  pleasant,  lying  over  mountains, 
and  the  views  exceedingly  enriched  with  villages 
and  country  houses.  Near  Berne,  the  road  is 
regularly  planted  with  trees. 

Sept.  26. — Berne 1  is  a  very  beautiful  city, 
the  streets  wide,  regularly  built  and  with  arches, 
that  you  may  walk  all  round  the  town  in  bad 
weather  without  being  wet ;  under  these  arches 
are  the  shops  ;  in  the  middle  of  the  street  runs  a 
small  stream  of  water,  which  with  the  well-built 
fountains  and  the  cleanliness  of  the  whole  is  very 
agreeable.  The  streets  are  kept  clean  by  the 
criminals,  who  drag  carts  through  the  streets 
every  morning,  sweeping  up  all  the  rubbish  they 
find  and  even  (with  small  brooms)  dusting  all 
the  public  gates  and  iron  rails.  The  one  we  saw 
was  drawn  by  women.  There  are  about  twenty 
of  these  carts  in  the  city.  Many  of  the  convicts 

1  Berne  was  at  that  time  an  independent  canton,  attached  to 
the  Swiss  Confederation.  It  was  conquered  fifteen  years  later  by 
the  French,  but  was  liberated  again  after  the  Napoleonic  period. 


LAUSANNE   TO   LONDON  35 

are  likewise  employed  in  other  work.  They  have 
a  house  appropriated  for  them,  and  also  another 
for  those  who  have  committed  greater  crimes  and 
are  not  permitted  to  go  out.  We  went  into  one 
of  these  maisons  de  travail.  According  to  their 
crimes,  both  men  and  women  had  both  their 
work  and  their  liberty  limited.  Everything  ap- 
peared very  clean  and  the  people  very  cheerful, 
which  shows  that  their  taskmasters  were  not 
severe.  Their  dress  is  blue ;  the  men  have  a 
particular  marked  cap  with  a  number,  and  the 
women  wear  an  iron  collar  and  a  kind  of  poker 
which  appears  to  come  from  their  breasts  and  is 
joined  to  their  collar.  The  use  of  them  is  not 
only  for  a  visible  mark,  but  in  case  of  mutiny 
to  hold  them  by.  They  mingle  among  the  people 
and  seem  not  to  be  treated  with  contempt,  as 
those  for  slight  offences  after  a  certain  hour  go 
home  to  their  families.  I  saw  one  after  twelve  in 
the  morning  selling  apples  in  the  street.  In  the 
4  Platform,'  a  public  walk,  are  summer-houses, 
where  they  have  concerts  on  a  summer's  evening 
and  where  the  best  company  resorts.  This  place 
is  on  an  eminence, .  which  makes  one  giddy  to 
look  down.  At  the  bottom  runs  the  River  Aar. 
The  view  from  the  terrace  is  beautiful;  on  one 
side  of  the  wall  is  an  inscription  on  black  marble 
in  German  to  commemorate  a  very  singular  and 
miraculous  event  which  happened  in  1625.  A 
clergyman  was  riding  an  unruly  horse,  who  took 
fright  and  precipitated  itself  with  the  rider  to 


36       TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

the  bottom.  The  height  is  not  less  than  two 
hundred  feet  and  directly  perpendicular,  but  neither 
the  horse  nor  the  gentleman  was  considerably 
hurt.1  I  had  hardly  the  courage  to  look  down 

again   after   I   had   heard   the  story.     Mr.   F 

told  us  that  he  once  saw  a  boy  between  four  and 
five  years  old  trundle  his  hoop  along  this  wall 
with  amazing  swiftness,  and  what  makes  the  story 
more  frightful  is  that  the  wall  is  not  flat,  the  stone 
rising  in  the  middle  and  leaving  only  four  inches 
flat  on  each  side.  Where  there  is  no  fear,  there 
is  little  danger. 

There  are  sumptuary  laws  in  this  city,  some 
of  which  are  remarkable.  Coaches  are  permitted 
in  the  city,  but  the  use  of  them  is  restrained  upon 
certain  occasions  ;  no  member  can  go  to  the  council 
in  his  coach  and  no  person  is  permitted  to  use 
them  to  go  to  church.  At  a  little  distance  from 
the  town  is  a  hospital  for  horses,  sick  horses  not 
being  permitted  to  be  kept  in  the  town,  lest  the 
contagion  be  spread.  At  the  entrance  to  the 
city  are  kept  in  a  deep  paved  square  place  four 
bears  (the  arms  of  the  city  is  a  bear).  The  hospital 
of  this  place  is  elegantly  built.  In  the  arsenal  are 
some  curious  pieces  of  armour,  among  them  of 
the  conquerors  of  the  Pays  de  Vaud,2  and  many 

1  Other  accounts  put  the  date  at  1654,  and  record  that  the  horse 
was  killed. 

*  The  Vaudois  were  conquered  by  the  Bernese  in  1536,  and 
remained  more  or  less  under  their  domination  until  the  arrival 
of  the  French  in  1798. 


LAUSANNE   TO    LONDON  37 

from  Charles  the  Bold,  Duke  of  Burgundy.  In 
all  this  canton  we  were  continually  followed  by 
beggars,  who  neither  in  dress  nor  countenance  be- 
spoke misery.  We  left  Berne  at  eleven  that  morning. 

The  road  from  hence  commands  a  beautiful 
prospect  of  the  Swiss  glaciers.  Dined  at  Traubroy ; 
from  thence  to  Soleure,  where  we  only  stopped  to 
refresh  the  horses,  but  my  brother  and  self  took 
the  opportunity  of  walking,  as  we  did  on  every 
occasion,  to  view  the  city,  which  is  neither  clean 
nor  handsome,  the  streets  narrow.  The  church  is 
a  fine  modern  building.  The  churchyard  is  com- 
posed of  large  square  stones  all  numbered,  which 
take  up  to  bury  in.  The  view  from  the  bridge  is 
delightful.  Slept  at  Vietlisbach. 

Sept.  27. — Passed  through  the  valley  of  Balsthal, 
which,  notwithstanding  bad  weather,  we  found 
very  pleasant.  The  view  is  diversified  by  the 
rocks  and  pinewood.  Passed  through  Waldenburg, 
dined  at  Liesthal.  From  that  place,  they  were 
everywhere  taking  in  the  vintage,  which  they 
press  down  with  their  naked  feet  in  large  tubs 
on  the  roadside,  contrary  to  the  way  of  making 
wine  in  the  Pays  de  Vaud.  Before  one  comes  to 
Basle,  the  road  pleasantly  winds  by  the  side  of  the 
Rhine.  Slept  at  Basle. 

Sept.  28. — Basle l  is  a  large  city,  very  clean 
and  little  inhabited  for  its  size.  The  houses  are 
some  covered  with  white  plaster  and  painted  round 
the  windows  and  other  parts  with  party-colour, 

1  Basle  was  then  an  independent  canton. 


38       TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

some  red  and  yellow,  blue  and  green,  etc.  Most 
of  the  houses  have  a  looking-glass  reflecting  what 
passes  in  the  street.  The  church  is  a  Gothic 
building  of  considerable  antiquity,1  but  all  painted 
over  a  red  colour.  It  contains  the  monument  of 
Erasmus.  Behind  the  church  is  a  little  wall 
which  commands  a  beautiful  view  of  the  Rhine, 
of  the  little  city  beyond  the  river  and  the  adjacent 
country.  The  '  Dance  of  Death,'  said  by  Holbein, 
painted  on  the  wall  by  the  French  church,  is  guarded 
by  a  shed  and  wooden  rails  painted  red,  which  by 
no  means  set  it  off.  Part  of  the  painting  is  exceed- 
ingly damaged  by  time.2  We  saw  a  very  curious 
garden  here,  quite  in  the  Dutch  style.  The  first 
coup  d'ceil  was  singular  and  not  unpleasing. 
Crowded  with  the  greatest  variety  '  of  flowers 
intermixed  with  shells,  and  the  beds  variously 
shaped  in  all  kinds  of  figures  and  intermixed  with 
brickdust  and  yellow  earth  and  gravel,  and  sur- 
rounded with  an  aviary,  also  a  great  quantity  of 
stone  images.  At  the  end  is  a  very  singular  maze 
formed  with  vines  running  up  short  rails,  only  to 
be  admired  as  a  puzzle,  it  having  a  poor  effect. 
It  being  Sunday,  we  did  not  see  the  library.  The 
dresses  are  singular.  The  councillors  all  dress 
in  black,  with  a  short  cloak  and  a  large  ruff.  The 

1  It  was  founded  in  1000,  destroyed  by  earthquake  in  1356, 
and  rebuilt  in  1359. 

2  The  "  Dance  of  Death  "  is  now  in  the  Museum  at  Basle.     It 
is  established  that  it  was  not  the  work  of  Holbein,  for  it  is  now 
known  to  have  been  completed  forty  years  before  his  birth. 


LAUSANNE   TO   LONDON  39 

women  wear  their  hair  tight  over  a  small  pad  and 
dragged  up  behind,  confined  in  the  middle  by  a 
cap  the  size  of  a  small  saucer,  not  seen  in  front, 
sometimes  bordered  with  gold  or  silver  and  in 
general  black ;  they  all  wear  black  on  Sunday. 
The  clocks  go  an  hour  faster  at  Basle,  which  was 
near  occasioning  us  many  mistakes.1  At  the  inn 
where  we  were  there  was  a  large  paved  room 
looking  over  the  Rhine,  with  a  fountain  in  the 
middle  ;  it  was  on  the  second  story  and  commanded 
an  excellent  prospect.  Left  Basle  and  arrived  at 
Mulhouse  at  five  in  the  evening. 

Mulhouse  is  said  to  derive  its  name  from  the 
great  number  of  mills  there,  but  we  saw  very 
few.  Mulhouse  is  a  small  independent  republic.2 

1  W.  D.  McCracken,  in  his  Romance  and  Teutonic  Sicitzerland, 
writes  :  "  A  famous  Church  Council  sat  here  from  1431  to  1448, 
but  a  more  useless  and  incompetent  assembly  has  rarely  been  con- 
vened. The  citizens  got  so  tired  of  its  fruitless  sessions  that  they 
finally  set  all  the  town  clocks  an  hour  ahead  to  make  the  cardinals 
and  bishops  adjourn  sooner  every  day.  It  is  said  that  the  advance 
was  maintained  until  1778,  when  Basle  once  more  began  to  work 
back  to  the  right  hour,  but  only  by  half  a  minute  at  a  time,  as 
befitting  a  very  old  and  dignified  city  that  was  not  to  be  hurried 
under  any  circumstances.  As  all  the  clocks  in  the  world  would 
not  induce  the  council  to  break  up  promptly,  it  had  to  be  excommu- 
nicated and  summarily  dissolved  by  Papal  authority."  It  would 
appear  from  Mrs.  Roget's  account  that  the  change  was  not  complete 
even  in  1783. 

*  Mulhouse  had  occupied  the  position  of  an  ally  to  the  Swiss 
League  since  the  Peace  of  Westphalia  in  1648,  and  it  was  not  till 
1787,  i.e.  fourteen  years  later  than  Mrs.  Roget's  visit,  that  it  was, 
for  reasons  of  commercial  policy,  incorporated  into  France.  As 
part  of  Alsace,  of  course  it  became  German  in  1871,  but  now 
happily  is  again  a  French  town. 


40        TRAVEL   IN  TWO   CENTURIES 

It  owes  to  its  alliance  to  the  Helvetic  body  the 
peace  which  it  has  so  long  enjoyed.  The  territory 
is  small,  but  they  carry  on  large  manufactures  of 
woollen  cloth  and  printed  linens.  The  outside 
of  the  town  house  and  several  other  large  houses 
are  curiously  but  gaudily  painted  over  with  figures. 
Sept.  29. — Dined  at  Thann,  a  very  small  town 
which  has  an  exceedingly  pretty  small  Gothic 
church,  seemingly  very  ancient,  built  of  a  yellow 
stone  which  has  a  good  effect.  The  road  from 
this  place  is  through  a  valley.  The  mountains 
surrounding  it  present  a  variety  of  views  like 
those  in  Switzerland.  Lay  at  Lettre,  came  in  late ; 
the  inn  comfortable  and  clean  and  good  beds. 

Sept.  30. — Dined  at  Remiremont,  a  pretty  large 
town  of  Lorraine.  The  houses  in  this  part  of  the 
country  are  covered  with  small  square  pieces  of 
wood  instead  of  tiles,  and  have  no  chimneys,  the 
smoke  either  passing  through  a  door  or  window. 
About  a  mile  from  here  we  had  a  proof  of  the 
inconvenience  of  this  kind  of  thing.  A  whole 
hamlet  consisting  of  eleven  houses  which,  though 
they  were  built  of  stone  and  some  of  them  stood 
at  a  distance  from  the  others,  were  all  burnt  down 
from  one  of  them  catching  fire.  Lay  at  Epinal. 
Fete  there;  soldiers  dancing  in  the  public  walk, 
the  women  dressed  in  white. 

Oct.  1. — Dined  at  Charmes;  lay  at  Nancy. 

Oct.  2. — Nancy.  Went  to  see  the  chapel  at  the 
Cordeliers,  where  the  Dukes  of  Lorraine  are  buried. 
The  building  very  elegant,  enriched  with  black 


LAUSANNE    TO    LONDON  41 

marble.     The  form  of  the  chapel  is  octagon.     The 
tombs,    where   the   House   of  Lorraine   is   buried, 
are  placed  uniform  and  exactly  the  same.     The 
Cordeliers  are  twenty-six  in  number.     In  the  middle 
of  a  large  square  is  a  statue  of  Louis  XV,  com- 
memorating the  happiness  of  Lorraine  in  falling 
under  the  dominion   of  France,1  and  their  pros- 
perity since  the  event.     The  streets  are  wide,  the 
houses  are  elegant  and  adorned  with  much  gilded 
ironwork ;  a  noble  gate  stands  in  the  middle  of  the 
city.     Everything   reminds   you  of  grandeur,  yet 
being  thinly  inhabited,  the  public  places  do  not 
appear  gay.     Undresses  quite   in  taste;   the  men 
we  saw  parading   in   the  morning  in  nightgowns 
and  the  ladies  in  slippers,   white  loose  draperies 
and  nightcaps.    Dined  at  Pont-a-Mousson,  opposite 
L'Ecole    Militaire    Royale    at    Jouy.     Near    Metz, 
we  viewed  the  remains  of  the  Roman  aqueduct, 
which  passed  over  the  Moselle.     We  were  on  the 
side   where  the   greatest   part   is   seen,    seventeen 
arches  being  entire.      The  highroad  passes  under 
one  of  them.     Small  houses  are  built  under  six  of 
the  arches,  which  seem  in  great  danger  of  being 
crushed  by  the  remains  of  Roman  grandeur,  if  it 
be  true,  as  they  told  us,  that  the  stones  fall  fre- 
quently.    The  stones  on  the  outside  of  the  building 
are  placed  with  great  regularity,  but  the  internal 
solid  parts  arc  thrown  in  irregularly.     The  mortar 

1  Lorraine,  after  a  somewhat  stormy  history,  did  not  become 
actually  attached  to  France  till  1766,  or  seventeen  years  before  the 
time  that  we  are  considering. 


42        TRAVEL  IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

is  very  hard.  Ferried  over  the  Moselle  ;  the  moon 
was  bright ;  came  in  late.  Obliged  to  sleep  a  mile 
distant  from  Metz,  the  gates  being  shut. 

Oct.  3. — Met  a  Pilgrim  dressed  in  dark  brown 
with  cockleshells  upon  his  hat  and  cloak,  a  bag 
for  his  provisions,  a  staff  in  his  hand  and  a  wooden 
bottle  by  his  side  for  his  drink.  Dined  at  Fontoy, 
lay  at  Longwy. 

Oct.  4. — Ascending  the  eminence  upon  which 
Longwy  stands,  we  observed  a  very  remarkable 
fog  rising  from  the  valley  which  entirely  eclipsed 
the  lower  ground,  and  this  appeared  metamorphosed 
into  a  lake,  the  mountains  forming  the  opposite 
coast  and  the  rising  ground  as  small  islands.  The 
rising  sun,  which  decked  the  whole  with  the  most 
beautiful  shades,  soon  gathered  this  thick  mist 
into  heavy  clouds  and  discovered  to  us  a  number 
of  growing  landscapes.  Dined  at  Arlon.  From 
Arlon  to  Malmaison,  where  we  lay,  the  road  is 
exceedingly  bad  and  the  country  barren  and 
dreary.  Here  and  there  a  few  small  villages  with 
scarcely  a  tree  to  shade  them  was  all  that  varied 
the  scene  for  some  leagues. 

Oct.  5. — Dined  at  Emptines ;  lay  at  Namur. 
The  garrison  consists  of  only  2,000  men.  When 
the  Dutch  were  in  possession  of  the  town,  they 
maintained  a  garrison  of  near  10,000  men  and  never 
less  than  4,000.  A  troop  of  players  was  established 
in  the  city  and  were  chiefly  supported  by  the 
officers  of  the  garrison,  but  the  officers  at  present 
are  not  sufficiently  numerous  and  there  is  no  play. 


LAUSANNE    TO    LONDON  43 

The  tradespeople  of  the  town  seem  tolerably  dis- 
satisfied with  the  change,  which  they  pretend  has 
carried  away  half  the  trade  of  the  city.  The  city 
seems  neat ;  it  is  almost  entirely  built  of  brick. 
.  .  .  The  most  considerable  part  of  the  fortifica- 
tions is  now  thrown  down,  and  scarcely  anything 
remains  but  the  forts  above  the  city.  .  .  . 

Oct.  7. — Lay  at  Louvain.     The  seat  of  a  Uni- 
versity. 

Oct.  8. — Met  a  number  of  students  going  to  the 
college  with  their  portfolios  under  their  arms. 
We  were  told  that  there  were  fine  pictures  in  the 
great  church,  but  could  find  nobody  to  open  the 
chapels  in  it.  At  the  Augustins  we  were  also 
told  that  there  were  some  worth  seeing,  but  here 
again  we  were  unlucky.  We  rang  at  the  gate;  a 
monk  came  out  on  whose  countenance  was  painted 
ill-nature  and  discontent,  and  either  not  under- 
standing French  or  offended  at  seeing  a  lady 
approach  his  cell,  he  appeared  not  to  comprehend 
our  meaning  and  sternly  showed  us  the  door.  The 
town  house  seems  to  be  a  very  ancient  building. 
.  .  .  The  quay  and  the  buildings  on  the  side  of 
the  canal  are  very  neat  and  pleasant,  the  place 
open  and  large,  and  the  view  terminates  by  a  ruined 
castle  and  a  church  on  an  eminence. 

Dined  at  Malines.  The  road  from  Louvain  to 
Malines  is  so  direct  a  line  that  on  quitting  Louvain 
on  a  clear  day  one  may  see  the  tower  of  the  church 
at  Malines  at  the  end  of  the  road,  though  it  is  four 
leagues  distant.  The  great  church  at  Malines  is 


44       TRAVEL   IN  TWO   CENTURIES 

a  fine  Gothic  building,  but  without  any  steeple 
and  seemingly  unfinished.  In  one  of  the  chapels 
is  an  altarpiece  by  Rubens.  .  .  .  Lay  at  Antwerp. 

Oct.  9. — The  great  church  of  Notre  Dame  an 
admirable  Gothic  building ;  the  steeple  of  one  of 
the  towers  only  is  finished.  It  is  exceedingly 
high  (460  feet),  and  the  small  houses  which  are 
built  against  it  add  to  its  apparent  height,  but 
they  have  an  ugly  appearance.  In  the  church  is 
one  of  the  finest  pictures  by  Rubens.  .  .  .  Antwerp 
is  large,  but  thinly  inhabited.  The  streets  are 
wide  and  the  buildings  elegant,  but  badly  lighted ; 
only  a  few  lamps  at  the  crucifixes.  Left  this 
town  at  twelve  o'clock,  slept  at  a  very  indifferent 
inn,  where  we  could  scarce  get  anything  to  eat ; 
the  room  exceedingly  cold ;  the  whole  very  un- 
comfortable. 

Oct.  10. — The  road  about  two  leagues  from 
Antwerp  to  about  half  a  league  from  Breda  exceed- 
ingly bad,  deep  sands  and  lying  across  heaths. 
Dined  at  Breda,  a  pretty  Dutch  town  well  fortified. 
(Peter  will  remember  the  Dutch  cleanliness.)  The 
Governor's  castle,  a  building  of  red  brick  ornamented 
with  stone  figures.  Embarked  at  three  o'clock 
upon  a  vessel. 

Oct.  11. — Having  passed  our  night  taut  mal  que 
bien  in  our  cabin,  with  onlv  one  bed  for  all,  we 

•/ 

were  much  rejoiced  to  see  Rotterdam.  We  arrived 
there  at  eleven  in  the  morning.  The  city  is  very 
beautiful ;  fine  canals  running  through  the  streets, 
filled  with  a  variety  of  pretty  sailing  boats,  added 


LAUSANNE    TO    LONDON  45 

to  rows  of  large  trees,  which  give  an  agreeable 
shade  to  the  houses,  with  the  remarkable  cleanliness 
of  the  whole,  make  the  scene  both  entertaining 
and  extraordinary,  particularly  when  compared 
to  the  dirt  in  general  of  a  large  town.  But  here 
is  not  like  Antwerp ;  the  place  is  populous,  and 
the  noise  of  the  heavy  coaches  which  rattle  over 
the  stones  soon  made  me  wish  to  quit  the  place, 
which  we  did  the  next  day  at  six  in  the  morning 
in  one  of  those  unpleasing  vehicles.  .  .  . 

Oct.  12. — Dined  on  bread  and  cheese  at  a  small 
village  where  they  did  not  understand  a  word  we 
said.  Ferried  over  three  times  before  our  arrival 
there.  The  coachman  stopped  to  drink  tea,  it 
being  a  favourite  liquor  with  the  common  people 
in  Holland,  as  porter  is  in  England.  Arrived  at 
Helvoet  at  half-past  three.  Saluted  by  cross 
matron  by  4  You  may  stay  here  a  week  ;  the  packet- 
boat  sailed  yesterday.'  This  bad  news  put  us  all 
out  of  spirits.  .  .  .  Helvoet l  is  a  small  neat  town 
consisting  of  sailors'  families,  the  place  well  forti- 
fied. The  guards  would  not  permit  our  walking 
near  the  fortifications.  The  country  near  is  very 
flat,  and  is  strewn  everywhere  with  shells. 

Oct.  15. — After  three  days'  rest,  the  packet-boat 
arrived.  We  set  sail  at  three  o'clock.  Our  captain 
very  civil,  his  boat  very  large,  making  on  occasion 
twenty-one  beds.  Some  part  of  the  company 
agreeable  and  the  others  not  disagreeable.  .  .  . 
We  were  fifty-three  hours  on  board,  having  a  calm 

1  Or  Helvoetsluys. 


46        TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

the  first  night  which  sickened  all  the  passengers. 
Arrived  Harwich  at  six  o'clock,  where  we  joined 
part  of  the  company  with  Captain  Home  and 
enjoyed  a  comfortable  English  supper. 

Oct.  18. — Left  Harwich;  the  road  delightfully 
pleasant.  Admired  Colchester  and  Chelmsford,  as 
well  as  many  pretty  smaller  towns.  Arrived  at 
London  at  six  o'clock." 

Mrs.  Roget's  journey  thus  occupied  twenty-four 
days.  It  is  now  possible  to  travel  from  Lausanne 
to  London  in  considerably  under  twenty-four 
hours. 

Another  example  of  the  considerable  delays 
that  were  liable  to  be  experienced  in  those  days, 
in  the  crossing  of  the  Channel,  is  presented  by 
Romilly's  return  journey  from  a  visit  to  Paris 
in  1788.  Quoting  from  the  Memoirs : — 

"  I  was  obliged  to  be  back  early  in  October, 
to  attend  the  Coventry  and  Warwick  Quarter 
Sessions ;  .  .  .  we  reluctantly  therefore  set  out  on 
our  return,  and  yet  I  was  near  missing  the  object 
of  it;  for  though  we  had  allowed  ourselves  full 
time  to  perform  our  journey,  when  we  arrived 
at  Boulogne  we  found  the  wind  adverse  and 
blowing  so  strongly  that  it  was  impossible  to  sail 
for  England,  either  from  that  port  or  from  Calais ; 
and  after  staying  at  Boulogne  nearly  a  week,  we 
were  still  there  on  Saturday  at  one  o'clock  in  the 
day,  when  it  was  requisite  that  I  should  be  in 


LAUSANNE   TO    LONDON  47 

Court,  at  Coventry,  by  ten  o'clock  on  the  morning 
of  the  following  Monday.  This,  however,  by  great 
good  fortune,  I  was  able  to  accomplish.  We  had 
a  passage  of  only  three  hours  ;  we  proceeded  the 
same  night  to  Canterbury,  and  arrived  in  London 
early  enough  on  the  next  evening  to  obtain  a  place 
in  a  mail-coach,  which  conveyed  me  by  nine  o'clock 
the  following  morning  to  Coventry." 


CHAPTER  III 

1793: 

A  COACH  JOURNEY  FROM  LONDON  TO 
EDINBURGH 

AS  an  example  of  the  ordinary  means  of 
inland  travel  in  the  old  coaching  days, 
with  its  little  incidents  and  annoyances,  we  are 
able  to  give  an  account,  also  by  Mrs.  Catherine 
Roget,  of  a  journey  from  London  to  Edinburgh, 
ten  years  later,  again  accompanied  by  her  son  and 
daughter,  now  aged  fourteen  and  ten  and  a  half 
years  respectively.  The  object  of  this  journey  was 
to  enable  young  Peter  Mark  Roget  to  commence 
his  medical  studies  at  Edinburgh.  These  were 
undertaken  at  a  much  earlier  age  than  is  customary 
nowadays,  and  it  is  remarkable  to  look  back  upon 
the  fact  that  it  was  then  possible  for  him  to  take 
his  full  degree  of  M.D.  when  he  was  only  nineteen. 
It  is  interesting  to  note  that  while  our  travellers 
were  passing  quietly  through  England  and  Scotland, 
France  was  in  the  thick  of  the  Revolution,  and 
Alsace,  through  which  we  followed  them  so  peace- 
fully in  the  last  chapter,  was  being  invaded  by 
the  Austrians. 

48 


LONDON    TO    EDINBURGH  49 

The  following  extracts  from  letters  which 
Mrs.  Roget  wrote  from  Dover  prior  to  the  journey 
are  given  to  show  how  large  an  undertaking  such 
a  journey  must  have  seemed  when  the  preparations 
were  being  discussed,  even  to  one  of  so  much 
experience  of  travel,  and  incidentally  they  throw 
light  on  the  various  available  methods. 

"  Mrs.  D is  desirous  of  going  thirds  with  us 

in  a  postchaise  as  far  as  Stone,  in  Staffordshire. 
If  we  adopt  that  plan,  we  shall  go  the  road  to 
Carlisle.  But  can  equally  stop  at  any  of  the  towns 
on  the  road  if  we  find  ourselves  fatigued.  .  .  .  When 
I  see  the  daily  fine  weather  we  are  letting  pass  by 
us  and  reflect  on  the  400  miles  we  are  going,  I 
am  impatient  to  be  on  the  road.  I  sent  yesterday 
to  inquire  concerning  the  Carlisle  diligence ; 
there  is  none.  The  stage  holds  six,  and  is  £3  18s. 
Everybody  frightens  us  about  the  public  coaches, 
which,  to  be  sure,  nobody  but  such  poor  devils  as 
myself  would  venture  in ;  and  I  am  not  sure 
that  I  shall  have  the  courage,  though  I  can  ill 
afford  the  expense  of  chaises  for  such  a  length 
of  road.  We  shall  probably  mix  our  journey 
with  the  genteel  and  the  vulgar,  now  and 
then  taking  a  crowd  and  jumble  in  a  stage 
and  then  loll  and  look  big  another  post  or 
two  in  easy  chaises.  ...  I  shall  send  in  a  few 
days  my  trunks  by  water;  they  will  not  be 
long  on  the  voyage,  and  we  shall  be  there  before 
them." 

4 


50        TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

It  appears,  however,  that  one,  at  any  rate,  of 
the  trunks  that  was  consigned  in  this  way  from 
Dover  failed  by  a  long  way  to  arrive  before  them, 
as  the  boy  in  a  letter  from  Edinburgh  in  the  May 
of  the  following  year  writes: — 

"  We  are  in  great  want  of  our  trunk  at  Dover, 
which  contains  many  of  our  books.  It  is  impossible 
to  have  it  at]  present,  for  no  vessels  venture  from 
Dover  during  the  war,  and  if  it  comes  by  land, 
it  must  be  opened  by  the  custom  house  officers 
both  at  Dover  and  at  London,  besides  the  great 
expense  of  land  carriage." 

On  September  9th  Mrs.  Roget  writes  to  her 
brother  : — 

"  If  you  have  anything  more  to  say  to  me  concern- 
ing this  long  journey,  you  must  write  by  return  of 
post,  as  I  shall  set  out  the  middle  of  next  week. 
We  shall  take  three  places  in  the  York  Coach 
and  rest  ourselves  a  week  there  if  necessary. 

Our   D party   is   given   up.     We    shall   have 

a  moon  next  week,  which  is  preferable  to  her  bright 
eyes,  ainsije  me  moque  du  reste.  My  young  children 
are  eager  to  be  on  the  road  as  well  as  their  old 
mother,  who  feels  herself  wearing  away  to  the 
size  of  a  thread-paper  from  these  repeated  delays 
and  unsettled  stage  projects." 

Mrs.  Roget 's  own  account  of  the  journey  is 
as  follows  : — 


LONDON    TO    EDINBURGH  51 

THE  JOURNEY  FROM  LONDON  TO  YORK. 

"  Left  our  good  friends  at  Kensington  Sept.  18th, 
1793.  Took  a  Hackney  coach  at  8  o'clock  in 
the  evening,  drove  to  the  Bull  and  Mouth  in 
Aldersgate  Street,  where  we  had  taken  places 
in  the  mail  coach  for  York.  The  evening  was 
rainy,  and  the  wagons  going  out  prevented  our 
coming  up  to  it,  but  we  had  a  very  careful  coach- 
man, who  made  us  not  quit  the  coach  until  we 
had  placed  everything  in  the  Inn.  The  last  bundle 
he  left  to  Peter's  charge,  and  bid  Nannette  and 
myself  follow  him,  but,  old  careful,  turning  his 
head,  perceived  Peter  following ;  he  was  going 
to  bawl  out,  but  seeing  that  he  had  the  parcel 
under  his  arm,  he  gave  a  nod  of  approbation. 
After  the  confusion  of  the  coach  office,  etc.,  was 
over,  we  were  ushered  into  the  coffee-room,  to 
wait  with  others  the  stage  going  out.  We  were 
sorry  to  find  that  we  had  an  hour  to  wait.  During 
our  stay,  a  tired  family  entered  out  of  a  long  stage, 
and  began  a  long  supper,  which  continued  serving 
up  till  we  left  the  Inn.  We  felt  ourselves  awkward 
doing  nothing,  when  every  mouth  in  the  room 
besides  ours  was  employed  with  eating,  so  we 
called  for  a  tumbler  of  negus  and  a  few  biscuits. 
This  was  a  pastime  for  my  young  people,  and  had 
so  changed  my  thoughts  from  our  intended  journey 
that  when  the  Edinburgh  and  York  Mail  papers 
were  called  for  I  should,  had  not  Peter  jogged 
my  memory,  have  been  an  hour  longer  lost  in  my 


52        TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

reverie,  for  in  the  short  time  I  had  carried  my 
thoughts  back  to  the  good  friends  I  had  left  and 
felt  vexed  at  the  interruption.     We  got  into  the 
coach  and  were  followed  by  a  lusty  middle-aged 
man,  who  before  we  had  reached  Lombard  Street 
had  already  entertained  us  with  anecdotes  of  his 
family,  etc.     I  was  in  an  absent  humour  and  only 
heard  half  his  stories.     One  thing  struck  me  with 
concern,    the   idea    of  travelling   200   miles   with 
such  a  talkative  companion.     We  waited  at  the 
post  office  about  half  an  hour,  when  by  the  sound 
of  the  horn  we  drove  on  very  pleasantly,  and  as 
we    advanced,     our    opposite    neighbour's    clack 
abated.    He  at  last  put  on  his  large  fur  cap,  after 
apologizing  to  Nannette  for  his  frightful  appearance, 
which  he  said  might  alarm  such  a  young  traveller. 
In  short,  we  all  prepared  to  take  our  rest,  Nannette 
with    her    white    French    coat.    Peter,    who    had 
forgotten     his     nightcap,     tied     his    handkerchief 
round  his  head.     I  composed  myself  with  settling 
in  my  mind  many  anxious  cares  concerning  our 
journey,    which    probably   would    have   prevented 
my  closing  my  eyes  had  not  the  two  bad   nights 
preceding,   added  to  the   fatigue   and   the   hurry 
of  packing  up   and   leaving  my   good  friends,  so 
wearied  and  spent  my  spirits,  that  nature  sank 
into   repose   notwithstanding   the   motion   of  the 
coach,  which  I  must  confess  was  the  most  gentle 
of  any   carriage   I   had   before  travelled   in.     We 
changed    horses    at    Enfield,    Ware,    Buntingford 
and  Huntingdon.     We  arrived  at  the  latter  place 


LONDON    TO    EDINBURGH  53 

at  a  quarter  before  four  in  the  morning,  where  we 
made   a   comfortable   breakfast,  although  at   such 
an  early  hour.     We  changed  guard  and  coachman, 
to  the  displeasure  of  our  fellow-traveller,  who  called 
the  usual  custom  of  giving  them  a  shilling  a  vile 
imposition.     He  ate  little  breakfast,  but  promised 
himself  a  good  luncheon  at  the  next  stage,  which 
was  Stilton.     He  was  too  sleepy  to  get  out,  but 
at  Stamford,   our  next  stage,   he  had  a  drop   of 
comfort,  which  gave  him  his  former  spirits.    His 
anecdotes  soon  ended  in  a  doze,  so  that  on  the 
whole  he  was  not  such  a  troublesome  companion 
as    I    had    feared.     His    conversation    was    never 
fatiguing    above    half   an    hour   after    some    good 
liquor.     The  rest  of  the  time  was  passed  in  sleeping 
and  in   studying  Patterson's  Book  of  Roads,  one 
page   of  which   in   particular  Peter  is   certain   he 
was  learning  by  heart.     After  passing  Grantham, 
we  arrived  in  Newark,  where  we  dined  on  eels, 
a  fat  goose  and  mushrooms.     We  were  here  solicited 
to  take  in  a  lady,  which,  after  a  few  murmurs,  we 
all  agreed  to.     When  herself  and  puppy  dog  were 
handed  into  the  coach  we  received  the  most  ful- 
some thanks  I  have  ever  heard,  such  a  kindness 
never  to  be  forgotten,  an  unparalleled  goodness, 
etc.,     which    we    vowed    were    undeserved.     No 
sooner  was  the  lady  and  her  young  charge  seated 
than  our  traveller  began  by  telling  her  that  she 
might  thank  the  good  dinners  we  had  met  with 
for  her  reception,  which  had  put  us  all  in  good 
humours.     I  resented  this  rude  speech  by  assuring 


54        TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

the  lady  that  she  was  very  welcome,  and  immediately 
showed  some  civilities  to  her  dog,  which  gained 
her  affection,  and  we  good-humouredly  continued 
our  journey  for  about  half  an  hour,  when  all  but 
the  lady,  even  the  very  puppy,  fell  asleep.  Peter 
snored  very  loud.  At  Doncaster  she  left  us 
with  a  thousand  thanks,  and  there  our  traveller 
called  for  a  mug  of  ale ;  we  were  all  so  dry  that  I 
was  tempted  to  follow  his  example.  He  desired 
that  I  would  taste  his  ale,  but  to  my  astonishment 
I  found  it  absolutely  half  brandy,  so  that  I  no  longer 
wondered  his  tongue  ran  so  fast  after  his  meals. 
We  were  concerned  to  find  that  our  traveller's 
plan  was  somewhat  similar  to  ours.  He  was 
going  to  Scotland,  but  meant  to  stay  a  few  days 
at  York  to  rest  himself  and  to  see  the  curiosities 
there.  We  arrived  at  York  a  little  after  eleven 
at  night  at  the  York  Tavern.  The  house  was 
full ;  only  one  bedroom  remained,  which,  as  there 
were  two  beds  in  it,  we  immediately  engaged. 
Our  traveller  had  the  offer  of  one  bed  in  a  room 
where  there  was  a  gentleman  asleep  in  the  other. 
This  poor  accommodation  did  not  suit  him.  He 
whispered  in  my  ear  that  this  sleeping  person 
might  possibly  be  a  thief,  and  he  had  valuable 
things  with  him.  I  approved  of  his  fears  and 
encouraged  him  to  take  his  place  on  to  Edinburgh. 
He  lamented  not  seeing  the  Cathedral,  but  was 
comforted  when  I  assured  him  that  I  had  never 
heard  much  said  in  its  praise,  and  the  town,  my 
brother  had  lately  informed  me,  was  positively 


LONDON    TO    EDINBURGH  55 

ugly.  In  short,  his  fears  and  my  rhetoric  sent 
him  post-haste  on  to  Edinburgh.  We  enjoyed 
by  ourselves  a  quiet  supper,  and  after  a  good  night's 
rest  we  set  out  in  search  of  lodgings.  .  .  .  Our 
traveller  informed  us  that  he  meant  to  write  his 
observations  and  adventures.  His  remarks,  taken 
from  his  dreams  and  Patterson's  Road  Book, 
must  be  worth  reading.  We  have  our  fears  that 
we  shall  appear  in  print  as  the  dull  companions 
of  his  journey. 

THE  JOURNEY  FROM  YORK  TO  EDINBURGH. 

As  there  was  no  probability  of  taking  places 
till  the  mail  coach  was  arrived  from  London,  we 
were  obliged  to  pack  up  our  trunks  on  the  uncer- 
tainty of  going.  Immediately  we  heard  the  sound 
of  the  horn,  I  sent  Peter  to  inquire  if  there  were 
three  places  vacant.  He  brought  us  word  that 
we  could  go,  and  after  a  hasty  adieu  and  settling 
our  affairs  with  our  host,  we  went  bag  and  baggage 
to  the  York  Tavern.  The  confusion  that  we  found 
there  was  dreadful,  and  the  places  reserved  for  us 
were  in  a  postchaise  with  another  gentleman ; 
another  chaise  was  to  accompany  us,  and  according 
to  the  clerk  of  the  office  we  were  to  keep  up  close 
to  the  mail,  and  at  Newcastle  we  were  to  get  in, 
as  three  of  the  passengers  were  going  no  farther. 
I  saw  the  absurdity  of  this  plan  and  exclaimed 
against  it,  but,  not  willing  to  go  back  and  meet 
perchance  with  the  same  luck  another  evening,  we 


56       TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

consented  to  the  plan  and  got  in  with  our  traveller, 
who  was  talkative  and  civil,  as  the  other  chaise 
were  all  much  in  liquor.     We  set  off  first,  and  as 
we  were  changing  horses  at  the  first  post,  the  mail 
passed  us,  and  we  continued  flying  after  it  the  whole 
night.     At  Darlington  we  stopped  to  breakfast,  and 
had  a  full  view  of  the  drunken  chaise  company. 
We  hurried  our  breakfast  in  hopes  to  get  before 
them  to  the  mail,  as  one  of  them  wished  for  a  place 
as  well  as  us.     This  piece  of  cunning  was  soon 
smoked  out,  and  to  our  mortification  our  driver 
chose  to  go  purposely  slow  till  the  other  chaise 
passed  full  drive  and  was  soon  out  of  sight.     We 
now  began  to  despair  of  meeting  with  the  mail 
at  Newcastle.     It  was  vain  to  storm ;  he  did  not 
go  a  step  faster.     At  the  next  post  they  assured 
us  that  we  should  be  too  late.     But  the  contrary 
event  befell  us;   the  landlord  provided   the   first 
chaise,  as  he  found  that  they  had  got  the  start  of 
us,  with  bad  horses  and  left  the  good  ones  for  us. 
Thus  we  soon  came  up  to  them,  but  were  not  in 
the  last  post  before  them,  and  we  were  told  by  all 
that  the  mail  would  be  gone.     Both  chaises  now 
set  off  at  full  gallop  and  kept  up  together.     We 
arrived  at  Newcastle  when  the  horses  to  the  mail 
were   putting   to.     Hall's    Inn   was   crowded   and 
all  in  great  confusion.     Our  companion  with  us 
got  into  the  mail,  and,  with  a  light  heart  and  an 
empty  stomach,  we  set  off,  well  pleased  that  we 
had  accomplished  our  ends,  and  laughing  at  our 
great  hurry  and  the  disappointment  of  the  other 


LONDON    TO    EDINBURGH  57 

person  who  nearly  occasioned  ours,  coming  up  to 
the  coach.  At  about  ten  we  arrived  at  Berwick ; 
we  were  rejoiced  to  find  an  excellent  cold  supper 
prepared  for  us,  for  we  had  had  nothing  the  whole 
day.  The  rest  of  our  journey  was  very  pleasant. 
We  arrived  at  Edinburgh  at  seven  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  and  from  the  recommendations  of  our 
fellow-traveller  got  immediately  into  a  very  com- 
fortable lodging." 

The  party  stayed  a  fortnight  in  York,  and  arrived 
in  Edinburgh  on  October  4th.  The  actual  time 
of  travelling  from  London  to  York  appears  to  have 
been  under  twenty-four  hours,  but  two  nights 
were  spent  on  the  portion  from  York  to  Edinburgh. 

In  a  letter  Mrs.  Roget  writes  on  October  5th 
as  follows  : — 

4  You  must  be  greatly  surprised,  my  dear  Sam, 
to  receive  the  news  of  our  arrival  at  Edinburgh,  for 
I  am  myself.  I  informed  you  in  my  last  letter 
of  the  trouble  there  is  in  obtaining  places  in  the 
Mail  from  York  to  Edinburgh ;  I  have  now  to  add 
that  the  same  uncertainty  attends  securing  of 
places  in  the  Light  flyer,  called  in  London  the 
Heavy  Coach,  and  the  latter  conveyance  only 
carries  you  to  Newcastle,  where  you  are  again  to 
try  your  chance  in  another  coach  the  rest  of  the 
way.  We  found  that  there  was  no  Mail  or  any  other 
coach  that  went  quite  to  Carlisle,  consequently 
that  scheme  was  laid  on  one  side.  We  had  only 


58        TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

left  trying  our  first  plan,  which  we  thought  Thurs- 
day or  Friday  would  do,  but  from  inquiry  I  found 
a  Yorkshire  gent,  or  two  were  expected  down  by 
the  Mail  on  Wed.  night.  We  had  therefore  a 
better  chance,  though  no  certainty." 

The  type  of  vehicle  in  use  in  those  days  was 
somewhat  different  from  the  mail  coach  preserved 
in  South  Kensington  Museum,  which  is  said  to 
have  been  the  last  to  run  on  the  London  to  York 
service  before  the  days  of  railways.  This  was 
not  built  till  1820,  and  is  of  more  highly  developed 
design  and  construction  than  those  in  use  in  1793. 
The  employment  of  steel  springs  certainly  goes 
back  as  far  as  1760,  when  a  "  flying  machine  with 
steel  springs "  ran  from  Sheffield  to  London. 
Further  improvements  appear  to  have  been  in- 
troduced in  1787,  but  as  to  their  immediate  success 
we  leave  the  reader  to  judge  when  he  has  read  the 
following  extract  from  a  letter  written  by  Matthew 
Boulton,  the  great  engineer  and  partner  of  James 
Watt.1 

"  I  had  the  most  disagreeable  journey  I  ever 
experienced  the  night  after  I  left  you,  owing  to 
the  new  improved  patent  coach,  a  vehicle  loaded 
with  iron  trappings  and  the  greatest  complication 
of  unmechanical  contrivances  jumbled  together 
that  I  have  ever  witnessed.  The  coach  swings 
sideways  with  a  sickly  sway,  without  any  vertical 

1  This  is  taken  from  Smiles's  Life  of  Metcalfe. 


LONDON    TO    EDINBURGH  59 

spring,  the  point  of  suspense  bearing  upon  an  arch 
called  a  spring,  though  it  is  nothing  of  the  sort.  The 
severity  of  the  jolting  occasioned  me  such  disorder, 
that  I  was  obliged  to  stop  at  Axminster  and  go 
to  bed  very  ill.  .  .  .  Unless  they  go  back  to  the 
old-fashioned  coach,  hung  a  little  lower,  the  mail 
coaches  will  lose  all  their  custom." 

We  must  remember  that  the  state  of  the  roads 
in  those  days  was  very  different  from  what  it  is 
now.  The  art  of  road-making  was  in  its  early 
infancy.  The  blind  pioneer  of  road  construction, 
Metcalfe,  had,  it  is  true,  commenced  his  great  work, 
but  Telford  was  still  a  young  working  stonemason. 

Some  of  the  types  of  coach  used  both  before  and 
after  the  year  we  are  considering  are  illustrated 
in  the  drawings  of  Rowlandson.  In  the  earlier 
drawings  six  horses  appear,  with  a  postilion  riding 
one  of  the  leaders,  and  there  appears  to  have  been 
a  large  basket  at  the  back  for  luggage,  and  at  times 
even  used  by  passengers.  Of  this  basket,  Sidney 
Smith,  writing  later  and  looking  back,  says  : — 

"  As  the  basket  of  stage  coaches  in  which 
luggage  was  then  carried  had  no  springs,  your 
clothes  were  rubbed  to  pieces ;  and,"  he  adds, 
"  even  in  the  best  society  one-third  of  the  gentle- 
men at  least  were  always  drunk." 

This  basket  was  quite  detached  from  the  body, 
and  rested  upon  the  back  axle.  The  fore  boot,  with 


60        TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

the  driver's  seat  on  the  top  of  it,  was  likewise  separate 
and  unsprung,  and  between  them  the  body  proper 
was  hung  by  straps  from  primitive  springs.  Venture- 
some passengers  travelled  on  the  roof  at  considerable 
risk  to  themselves,  for  there  do  not  seem  to  have 
been  at  that  time  any  proper  outside  seats.  That 
outside  seats  had  appeared  by  1809  and  that 
the  basket  had  disappeared  is  shown  by  a  later 
drawing  by  Rowland  son.  The  coach  here  depicted 
approximated  much  more  nearly  to  the  more 
familiar  type,  in  that  the  fore  and  hind  boots  are 
attached  to  the  central  body  and  the  whole  is 
sprung  together. 

The  coaches  that  Mrs.  Roget  rode  in  on  the 
journey  that  we  have  described  were  mail  coaches, 
and  probably  superior  in  construction  to  the 
common  type  of  basket  coach.  From  information 
given  by  Palmer,  the  pioneer  of  mail  coaches,  in 
1791,  we  learn  that  the  mail  coaches  of  those 
days  were  constructed  to  carry  four  inside  pas- 
sengers and  one  outside  passenger,  who  rode  with 
the  coachman.  They  were  drawn  by  four  horses, 
except  in  the  heaviest  weather,  when  there  were 
six.1  An  old  print  of  a  coach  at  approximately 
this  period  leaving  the  Belle  Sauvage  is  reproduced 
in  Fig.  2. 

It  appears  not  to  have  been  till  1784  that  mails 
were  regularly  carried  by  coaches  with  an  armed 

1  For  some  of  these  details  the  writer  is  indebted  to  Mr.  C.  G. 
Harper's  interesting  volumes,  Stage  Coach  and  Mail  in  Days  of 
Yore. 


LONDON    TO    EDINBURGH  61 

guard,  and  according  to  the  catalogue  of  the 
South  Kensington  Museum,  the  vehicles  were 
similar  to  the  existing  stage  coaches,  but  carried 
only  six  persons,  and  ran  at  an  average  speed  of 
six  miles  per  hour.  About  1800  the  coaches  had 
attained  their  final  form,  carrying  four  passengers 
inside  and  four  out,  and  they  travelled  at  an  average 
speed  of  about  eight  miles  per  hour.  In  1835 
there  were  seven  hundred  such  coaches  on  the 
roads  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland. 


CHAPTER  IV 

1802: 
LONDON  TO   GENEVA  THROUGH  PARIS 

WE  will  now  follow  Dr.  Roget  in  a  some- 
what eventful  tour  upon  which  he  started 
in  1802  in  the  capacity  of  tutor  to  two 
young  men  named  Burton  and  Nathaniel  Philips, 
sons  of  Mr.  John  Philips  of  Manchester,  who, 
according  to  a  letter  written  by  Dr.  Roget  on  a 
visit  to  Manchester  for  an  introduction  to  this 
family,  "  has  a  very  large  establishment ;  his 
cotton  factory  is  the  largest  in  Manchester,  and 
I  believe  in  England."  It  is  interesting  to  note 
from  the  same  letter  that  on  the  way  he  visited 
Birmingham,  where  he  speaks  of  having  enjoyed 
"  the  agreeable  and  instructive  conversation  of 
Mr.  Watt "  (the  great  James  Watt,  who  was 
at  the  time  working  hard  at  the  improvement 
of  the  steam  engine).  In  the  travels  we  are 
about  to  describe  we  are  able  to  add  to  our 
glimpses  of  the  Continent  before  the  French 
Revolution,  a  view  of  France  after  its  close.1 

1  An  account  of  this  eventful  tour,  compiled  by  Mr.  Herbert 
Philips,  nephew  of  Dr.  Roget's  pupils,  was  printed  for  private 

n 


LONDON    TO    GENEVA  63 

We  have  no  complete  account  of  the  journey 
to  Paris,  but  it  appears  that  the  party  were 
delayed  a  day  at  Dover  by  contrary  winds,  and 
finally  started  for  Calais  in  a  sailing  packet  on 
February  17,  1802,  arriving  after  a  passage  of 
no  less  than  fifteen  hours.  A  further  four  hours 
were  spent  in  waiting  for  the  gates  of  Calais  to 
open.  The  boat  that  they  crossed  in  carried 
twelve  passengers,  but  it  is  recorded  that  the 
next  one  carried  the  then  excessive  number  of 
forty.  To  get  an  idea,  exaggerated  perhaps,  of 
the  scene  on  the  arrival  of  the  English  packet 
at  Calais,  the  reader  should  betake  himself  to  the 
National  Gallery  and  look  at  Turner's  "  Calais 
Pier,  the  English  Packet  arriving,"  which 
was  first  exhibited  in  1803,  and  may  have  been 
painted  in  the  very  year  we  are  considering. 
It  will  be  remembered  that  the  armistice  pre- 
ceding the  Peace  of  Amiens  was  signed  on 
October  1,  1801,  although  the  treaty  itself  was 
not  signed  till  March  25,  1803,  and  the  oppor- 
tunity of  visiting  the  Continent,  which  had  been 

circulation  in  1904  under  the  title  of  Continental  Travel  in  1802-3 ; 
The  Story  of  an  Escape.  This  admirable  little  book  is  composed 
largely  of  letters  from  the  Philipses,  but  contains  also  extracts  from 
Dr.  Roget's  own  notes.  The  present  account  is  taken  almost  wholly 
from  these  notes,  which  are  in  the  writer's  possession,  and  includes 
some  portions  not  made  use  of  by  Mr.  Philips.  In  order  to  preserve 
continuity,  a  few  facts  are  derived  from  the  Philipses  letters  to  their 
father,  but  out  of  respect  for  Mr.  Herbert  Philips'  apparent  wishes, 
by  which  they  were  only  privately  printed,  no  extended  extracts 
from  the  Philips'  letters  have  been  made.  The  assistance  afforded 
by  Mr.  Philips'  book  is,  however,  gratefully  acknowledged. 


64        TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

closed  during  the  time  of  war,  was  eagerly  em- 
braced by  many  Englishmen  in  that  and,  as  in 
the  case  of  our  travellers,  in  the  following  year. 
Turner's  brother  artist,  Girtin,  went  to  Paris 
in  November  1801,  the  year  before  his  death, 
and  was  still  in  France  at  the  time  we  are  con- 
sidering.1 

The  following  account  of  the  sailing  packet 
service  from  Dover  is  taken  from  a  little 
anonymous  book  on  Dover  published  in  1799: — 

"  In  times  of  peace  this  place  has  been  con- 
sidered the  principal  embarkation  from  England 
to  the  Continent.  .  .  .  Five  packets  are  estab- 
lished here,  under  the  direction  of  the  General 
Post  Office;  one  of  which,  during  the  last  peace, 
sailed  every  Wednesday  and  Saturday  with  the 
mails  to  Calais  and  Ostend.  Whenever  the  peace 
is  made,  which  we  hope  is  not  far  distant, 
travelling  to  and  from  the  Continent  will  no 
doubt  be  greatly  increased ;  and  it  is  very  prob- 
able that  the  Post  Office  may  see  the  necessity  of 
making  an  augmentation  to  their  establishment 
by  sending  a  daily  foreign  mail.  .  .  .  Before  the 
war  upwards  of  thirty  vessels  were  employed 
in  this  passage,  exclusive  of  the  packets.  .  .  . 
These  vessels  are  from  60  to  70  tons  burden, 
fitted  up  in  an  elegant  manner,  and  may  almost 
be  called  the  handsomest  sloops  in  the  kingdom. 

1  See  History  of  the  Old  Water-Colour  Society,  J.  L.  Roget, 
vol.  i.  p.  110. 


LONDON    TO    GENEVA  65 

With  a  leading  wind,  they  are  seldom  more  than 
three  hours  on  their  passage  from  Dover  to 
Calais  ;  and  with  the  flood  they  frequently  save 
their  tide  into  Ostend  harbour,  after  a  voyage 
of  only  seven  hours.  Vessels  in  the  passage  do 
not  wait  for  high  water  before  they  leave  Dover, 
as  their  easy  draught  of  water  always  enables 
them  to  proceed  on  their  voyage  by  half-flood." 

A  rather  later  account  (Horn's  description  of 
Dover,  1817)  states  that  the  passage  vessels  were 
enabled  with  a  tolerably  fair  wind  to  reach  Calais 
and  go  into  the  harbour  by  tLe  same  tide,  "  a 
convenience  greatly  to  be  desired,  for  if  they 
reach  Calais  after  the  water  has  left  the  harbour 
the  passengers  are  under  the  necessity  of  going 
ashore  in  boats.  When  a  passage  vessel  arrives 
at  Dover  after  tide  time,  they  are  likewise  landed 
in  boats,  and  generally  upon  the  beach,  which 
is  usually  effected  without  inconvenience,  as  the 
boatmen  are  extremely  expert  and  careful.  Some- 
times a  vessel  leaves  the  harbour  at  the  latter 
part  of  the  tide  and  remains  in  the  roads  to  receive 
the  passengers  on  board  by  boats,  who  would 
otherwise  have  been  compelled  to  wait  till  the 
next  tide  before  they  could  have  sailed."  Fig.  3, 
which  is  reproduced  from  an  old  print  of  Dover, 
shows  the  scene  of  such  a  landing. 

Our  travellers  started  off  for  Paris  the  next 
morning  in  a  chaise  described  as  looking  clumsy, 
with  a  body  something  like  those  in  England, 

5 


66        TRAVEL   IN  TWO   CENTURIES 

but  more  confined,  and  with  wheels  like  those  of 
a  common  cart.  The  rest  is  like  a  gig  with  the 
"  newly  invented  springs."  The  horses  went  three 
abreast.  "  The  postilion,"  wrote  one  of  the 
pupils,  "  has  something  very  ridiculous  about  him. 
He  wears  immense  jack-boots,  one  of  which  you 
could  hardly  lift  with  your  hand,  and  carries  a 
long  lashed  whip  with  which  he  announces  his 
entrance  to  a  town  so  that  horses  may  be  pre- 
pared without  delay." 

The  first  day's  run  of  sixty  miles  brought  them 
to  Montreuil,1  the  second  to  Amiens,2  the  third 
to  Chantilly  and  the  fourth  to  Paris,  where  they 
arrived  on  February  23rd,  and  stayed,  at  first, 
at  the  Hotel  de  1'Europe,  Rue  de  la  Loi. 

PARIS  IN  1802. 

Dr.  Roget's  account  of  his  impressions  of  Paris 
is  given  in  full  below: — 

, "  All  great  towns,  it  is  said,  resemble  one 
another,  and  yet,  take  a  person  walking  in  the 
streets  of  London,  and  when  he  is  just  turning 
a  corner  seize  him  and  blindfold  him,  waft  him 

1  Famed   during  the  Great  War  as  Sir  Douglas  Haig's  Head- 
quarters. 

2  For  the  sake  of  contrast,  it  may  be  mentioned  that  the  present 
editor  (Dr.  Roget's  grandson)  passed  along  the  greater  part  of 
the  same  road  more  than  one  hundred  years  later  in  a  motor-car, 
starting   from   Boulogne   after   lunch   and   arriving   without   any 
hurry  in  Amiens  at  about  six  o'clock. 


LONDON    TO    GENEVA  67 

through  the  air  and  set  him  down  anywhere  in 
Paris,  he  will  think  himself  in  a  new  world  the 
moment  he  opens  his  eyes.  But  the  contrast  is 
so  great  as  to  require  no  such  means  to  make 
it  sensible.  Few  things  are  alike  in  the  two 
towns. 

The  great  height  of  the  houses — six  or  seven 
stories  high — the  narrowness  of  the  streets,  the 
height  of  the  roofs,  the  walls  covered  with  inscrip- 
tions which  dazzle  and  bewilder  the  eye,  the 
numerous  coaches,  chaises  and  cabriolets1  which 
drive  with  amazing  rapidity  over  an  irregular 
pavement  with  a  deafening  noise,  splashing  through 
the  gutters  which  run  in  the  middle  of  the  streets. 

The  total  want  of  foot  pavement  renders  it 
really  dangerous  to  walk  in  the  streets,  till  you 
are  trained  to  feats  of  agility.  You  are  required 
every  instant  to  hop  from  stone  to  stone  and  to 
dart  from  one  side  of  the  street  to  the  other. 
The  poor  foot-passengers  are  driven  about  by 
the  cabriolets  like  a  parcel  of  frightened  sheep. 
The  only  security  is  large  stones  close  to  the 
houses,  which  scarcely  allow  you,  by  sticking  close 
to  the  wall,  to  escape  being  hit.  Accidents  are 
frequent.  The  pavement  consists  of  large  round 
stones,  very  far  from  being  level  and  very  ir- 
regular. They  are  either  covered  with  mud  or, 
which  is  generally  the  case,  greasy  and  very 
slippery. 

1  A  cabriolet  was  a  light,  high  two-wheeled  one-horse  vehicle 
with  a  hood. 


68        TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

On  the  walls  are  frequently  painted  the  objects 
which  are  sold  at  the  shops,  as  shoes,  loaves, 
etc.  A  garland  is  a  sign  that  wine  is  sold  within. 
All  the  shops  where  wine  or  bread  is  sold  have 
an  iron  grating  before  the  windows  to  defend 
them  from  the  mob,  in  case  of  any  tumult.  This 
was  the  case  even  long  before  the  Revolution. 

The  streets  lose  a  great  deal  in  point  of  mag- 
nificence by  most  of  the  good  houses  not  appearing 
in  front,  but,  being  removed  from  the  street  by  a 
courtyard,  to  which  a  large  gateway,  or  Porte 
cochere  leads,  are  only  seen  one  by  one,  and  cannot 
in  the  least  contribute  to  giving  an  air  of  grandeur 
or  uniformity  to  the  street.  The  streets  which 
contain  the  best  houses  are  thus  in  fact  as  bad 
as  back  streets  or  those  in  which  coach-houses 
open.  But  to  compensate  this,  the  public  build- 
ings are  very  splendid  and  seen  to  great  advantage. 

The  shops  are  very  poor:  all  that  they  have  is 
displayed  at  the  window;  they  have  no  real 
magazine  of  goods,  being  deficient  in  capital. 
Indeed,  foot-passengers  are  allowed  no  leisure  to 
stare  at  the  shops,  being  obliged  to  look  to  their 
feet  and  being  hurried  along  by  carriages  which 
sweep  along  the  way.  Many  of  the  grocer's  shops 
have  no  windows.  Many  things  are  sold  in  stalls 
in  the  streets,  especially  books. 

The  women  walk  about  in  caps  without  hats, 
in  jackets.  They,  as  well  as  men  and  boys,  often 
wear  large  wooden  shoes,  that  appear  very  clumsy, 
but  are  perhaps  adapted  to  the  pavement.  In 


LONDON    TO    GENEVA  69 

the  markets  they  sit  under  large  red  oilcloth 
parasols  fastened  to  posts.  The  men  in  general 
wear  cocked  hats,  and  are  very  dirty  in  their 
persons ;  they  wear  large  ear-rings,  and  often 
allow  the  beard  to  descend  from  the  ears  under 
the  chin.  They  shave  very  seldom. 

The  hackney  coaches  are  better  than  those 
in  London,  and  the  horses  are  in  much  better 
condition.  The  horses  of  the  cabriolets  are  very 
good  and  well  trained.  They  go  at  a  great  rate 
over  the  rough  pavement.  There  are  between 
3,000  and  4,000  hackney  vehicles.  Unfortunately, 
in  narrow  streets,  they  block  the  way  too  much, 
otherwise  they  are  convenient  enough.  The  fare 
is  moderate,  15d.  for  a  journey,  or  20d.  the  first 
hour  and  15d.  for  each  succeeding  hour.  When 
you  take  them  you  must  tell  the  man  whether 
you  mean  to  take  him  by  the  hour  or  not. 

The  gutters  which  run  in  the  middle  of  the 
street  keep  the  streets  continually  moistened  and 
gently  sprinkle  the  passengers  with  mud.  No 
lady  can  walk  in  the  streets,  and  no  gentleman 
if  in  full  dress. 

Paris  is  far  from  being  sufficiently  lighted. 
Large  lamps  are  suspended  in  the  middle  of  the 
street  from  a  rope ;  they  are  let  down  in  order 
to  be  trimmed,  the  windlass  on  which  the  rope 
is  coiled  being  contained  in  a  box  under  lock 
and  key.  On  moonlight  nights  only  every  other 
lamp  is  lit. 

The  carts  have  generally   only   two   wheels,    of 


70        TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

great  size,  thickness  and  diameter.  The  nave 
projects  one  or  two  feet  from  the  wheel,  and  often 
gets  entangled  with  other  carts  in  these  narrow 
streets.  The  French  are  very  awkward  in  all 
their  contrivances.  This  was  seen  in  the  Gobe- 
lins, where  the  threads  that  form  the  basis  of 
the  tapestry  are  rolled  round  a  roller  and  tight- 
ened by  pulling  a  lever  tied  to  it,  with  a  rope 
four  or  five  men  pull  at  this  lever  (in  some  cases, 
however,  rack  work  is  introduced). 

Paris  stands  upon  a  much  smaller  space  of 
ground  than  London,  which  is  easily  accounted 
for  by  the  height  of  the  houses  and  the  narrow- 
ness of  the  streets.  It  is  traversed  by  the  River 
Seine,  which  divides  it  into  two  nearly  equal 
parts.  The  most  ancient  part  of  Paris  is  that 
which  is  called  the  Cite,  which  is  built  on  an 
island  formed  by  the  division  of  the  river  into 
two  branches.  The  greatest  part  of  Paris  is  sur- 
rounded by  the  Boulevards,  which  is  nothing 
else  than  a  wide  street  with  broad  causeway  on 
each  side,  separated  from  the  carriage  road  by  a 
row  of  trees.  There  are  shops  and  houses  on 
each  side  in  every  other  street.  But  besides 
these  Boulevards,  Paris  is  more  completely  en- 
compassed by  a  wall  or  enceinte  about  eighteen 
miles  in  length.  At  every  place  where  roads 
cross  it,  buildings  are  erected  at  a  great  expense 
for  receiving  tolls.  They  are  the  barrieres  de 
Paris.  Not  only  expense,  but  ornament  has  been 
lavished  on  their  construction. ': 


LONDON    TO    GENEVA  71 

The  appearance  of  the  streets  of  Paris  in  these 
days  is  well  illustrated  in  the  well-known  series 
of  aquatints  published  in  1803  under  the  title  : 
"  A  Selection  of  Twenty  of  the  Most  Picturesque 
Views  of  Paris  and  its  Environs,  drawn  and  etched 
in  the  year  1802  by  the  late  Thomas  Girtin,  being 
the  only  etchings  by  that  celebrated  artist,  and 
aquatinted  in  exact  imitation  of  the  drawings  in 
the  collection  of  the  Rt.  Hon.  the  Earl  of  Essex." 
J.  L.  Roget,  in  the  work  already  referred  to, 
writes  :  "  The  Rue  St.  Denis  is  one  of  the  most 
effective  in  the  engraved  series.  The  street  lead- 
ing to  the  arch  is  filled  with  carts  and  foot-pas- 
sengers, and  wonderfully  conveys  the  idea  of  a 
bustling  metropolitan  thoroughfare "  (p.  112). 
This  aquatint  is  reproduced  in  Fig.  4. 

Regarding  the  Paris  theatres,  Dr.  Roget  writes 
as  follows  : — 

'The  coup  d'oeil  of  the  Theatres  is  not  so 
splendid  as  that  of  the  London  ones.  They  are 
all  illuminated  by  a  chandelier  suspended  over 
the  middle  of  the  pit.  The  pit  is  divided  into 
the  orchestra,  parquet  and  amphitheatre ;  on  a 
level  with  the  pit  are  the  baignoirs,  answering  to 
the  private  boxes  at  Drury  Lane.  Above  these  is 
a  row  of  benches,  part  on  each  side.  Next  the 
stage  is  the  balcony,  and  the  rest  is  called  Premier 
galerie.  Behind  these  is  a  row  of  boxes.  The 
other  rows  succeed  on  the  top  of  each  other, 
and  a  second  gallery  rises  above  the  whole. 


72       TRAVEL   IN  TWO   CENTURIES 

Besides  these  are  pigeon  holes  or  Sieme  loges,  in 
the  dome  of  the  building.  Such  is  the  plan  of 
the  Theatre  Francais.  The  Opera  house  is,  how- 
ever, the  largest  of  all  the  theatres,  yet  it  is  not 
of  the  size  of  Covent  Garden.  The  Theatre  Francais 
has  a  gloomy  appearance ;  the  walls  of  the  pit 
are  very  dirty  and  black ;  the  front  of  the  boxes 
is  quite  bare  of  ornament.  The  curtain  is  of  a 
dirty  and  dark  red  colour.  The  Theatre  Faydeau 
is  a  very  handsome  theatre.  Paris  has  lost  its 
most  handsome  theatre  in  the  Odeon,  which  was 
consumed  by  fire." 

Referring  to  other  buildings  of  interest  he 
writes : — 

"  Nothing  can  exceed  the  magnificence  of  the 
Tuilleries  and  the  Louvre." 

The  party  had  moved  from  the  Hotel  de  1' Europe 
on  March  23rd,  and  took  up  their  quarters  for 
the  remainder  of  their  stay  at  Madame  Polier's, 
Rue  Cadet. 

During  their  stay  in  Paris,  Dr.  Roget  and  his 
pupils  saw  Napoleon  in  a  great  state  procession 
going  to  the  ceremony  at  Notre  Dame  on  April 
18,  1802,  when  a  Te  Deum  was  performed  inau- 
gurating "  La  Paix  Religieuse "  and  restoring 
religion  to  the  country.  The  "  First  Consul  "  is 
described  as  having  "  bowed  in  response  to  the 
applause  of  the  populace.  His  carriage  was  drawn 


LONDON    TO    GENEVA  73 

by  eight  superbly  decorated  horses.  Immediately 
after  it  came  six  Arabian  horses  led  by  Mame- 
lukes from  Egypt.  After  these  marched  troops 
to  the  number  of  10,000.  The  carriages  of  the 
ambassadors  followed  in  succession." 

The  little  party  remained  in  Paris  almost  exactly 
three  months,  leaving  on  May  22nd  in  a  carriage 
which  Dr.  Roget  bought  in  Paris.  A  brief  descrip- 
tion of  this  vehicle  is  worth  quoting :  "  It  is  an 
admirable  one,  well  adapted  to  our  purpose,  being 
larger  than  the  ordinary,  with  double  springs,  so 
that  in  case  of  an  accident  to  one  of  them  the 
other  prevents  an  overturn.  On  the  top  is  a 
valise  which  contains  our  linen  ;  under  our  feet 
is  a  large  well  where  our  portmanteaus  went. 
On  the  boot  in  front  was  fixed  our  trunk  filled 
with  our  books.  The  wheels  and  body  are  strong 
and  everything  is  commodious."  It  cost  £50. 


PARIS  TO  GENEVA,  1802. 

Dr.  Roget  has  left  two  accounts  in  his  own 
handwriting  of  the  journey  from  Paris  to  Lyons 
en  route  for  Geneva.  One,  apparently  written 
afterwards,  enlarges  more  upon  the  beauties  of 
the  scenery,  while  the  other  contains  more  details 
as  to  travelling  conditions.  In  what  follows  we 
have  included  selections  from  both. 

"  May  22,  1802. — After  a  great  deal  of  trouble 
and  delay  in  procuring  passports,  and  much 


74        TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

fatigue  in  making  the  necessary  arrangements  for 
our  journey,  we  left  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
and  we  were  happy  when  we  had  cleared  the 
gates  of  Paris.  We  had  been  joined  a  week  before 
by  Edge  worth,1  who  was  fortunately  going  to 
the  same  place  and  was  pursuing  the  same  route 
that  we  were.  Having  accordingly  united  our 
forces,  we  set  out  in  the  following  order:  our 
party  in  a  French  postchaise  led  the  van,  and 
Edgeworth  and  his  squire  brought  up  the  rear  in 
a  chaise  he  had  carried  over  from  England. 

In  order  to  avoid  racketing  once  more  over 
the  ragged  pavement  of  Paris,  we  made  a  silent 
retreat  by  the  Boulevards  to  Charenton,  where 
we  crossed  the  Seine.  No  sooner  were  we  past  the 
barrieres,  than  we  were  struck  with  the  sudden 
contrast  between  town  and  country  which  this 
abrupt  transition  presents.  To  emerge  at  once 
from  the  busy  scenes  of  a  large  and  gay  metropolis, 

1  Lovell  Edgeworth  (1776-1841)  was  the  son  of  Richard  Lovell 
Edgeworth  and  brother  of  Maria  Edgeworth,  the  well-known 
authoress.  His  father  was  expelled  from  France  by  Napoleon 
on  account  of  being  the  supposed  brother  of  the  Abbe  Edgeworth, 
confessor  of  Louis  XVI.  In  point  of  fact  he  was  only  a  very  distant 
cousin  of  the  Abbe.  When  this  was  proved,  his  expulsion  was 
cancelled.  Burton  Philips,  in  one  of  his  letters,  remarks  :  "  It 
is  a  curious  thing  that  three  relatives  of  Lovell  Edgeworth  have 
been  witnesses  of  the  misfortunes  of  kings.  His  great -grandmother 
was  maid-of-honour  to  Henrietta  Maria,  and  fled  with  her  to  France 
on  the  execution  of  Charles  I.  His  great-grandfather  commanded 
the  Second  Regiment  under  King  William  at  the  Battle  of  the 
Boyne,  when  James  II  was  defeated.  The  Abb£  Edgeworth  was 
the  third." 


LONDON    TO    GENEVA  75 

to  enter  from  these  of  a  sudden  upon  extensive 
plains,  deserted  and  forlorn,  appears  to  be  the 
effect  of  magic.  The  country  into  which  you  are 
transported  seems  far  removed  from  the  place 
which  you  beheld  but  a  moment  before.  It  offers 
no  variety  to  attract  the  attention.  Undisturbed 
by  the  rumbling  of  wheels,  you  glide  along  length- 
ened avenues  of  trees,  perfectly  straight  and 
uniform,  and  where  the  sight  of  an  inhabitant 
or  even  the  traces  of  a  human  footstep  are  rarely 
met  with.  Whilst  the  din  of  carriages  is  yet 
vibrating  upon  the  ear,  one  is  astonished  at  the 
silence  that  prevails  in  these  unfrequented  roads. 
The  sounds  that  formerly  annoyed  us  are  banished 
far  away.  Once  more  we  inhale  the  country 
breeze ;  the  eye  again  reposes  on  verdure,  and  the 
mind  is  left  at  liberty  to  pursue  unmolested  the 
train  of  her  reflections. 

But  the  heat  began  even  early  in  the  day  to 
be  oppressive  and  promised  to  be  still  greater. 
Though  we  were  still  in  May,  it  was  almost  as 
great  as  during  the  dog-days  in  England.  Our 
plan  has  been  to  set  out  every  day  as  soon 
as  it  was  light,  and  to  lay  by  during  the 
hottest  part  of  the  afternoon.  The  first  article 
we  punctually  executed,  but  we  never  found  it 
expedient  to  adopt  the  latter.  We  never  met 
with  comfortable  inns  at  the  time  we  wanted 
them,  and  generally  found  our  chaise  more  cool 
and  pleasant  than  the  close  rooms  we  were  shown 
into,  so  that,  except  stopping  for  breakfast,  we 


76        TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

always  preferred  accomplishing  at  once  the  whole 
of  our  day's  journey. 

The  first  evening  brought  us  no  farther  than 
Fontainebleau  (about  forty-five  miles).  We  passed 
through  a  long  forest  over  flat  ground,  the  road 
being  perfectly  straight  and  with  little  variety. 
This  forest  occurred  before  Lieusaint,  and  in  two 
or  three  places  we  remarked  obelisks  in  the  middle 
of  the  road,  whether  intended  for  use  or  ornament 
I  know  not.  The  approach  to  the  town  through 
the  forest  is  extremely  fine.  Gentle  risings  and 
declivities  present  a  pleasing  variety,  while  large 
fragments  of  black  rock  scattered  everywhere 
among  the  trees,  and  appearing  at  a  distance  like 
thatched  cottages  embosomed  in  the  forest,  have 
a  beautiful  effect  by  being  contrasted  with  the 
lively  verdure  of  the  new  foliage.  The  valley  in 
which  Fontainebleau  is  situated  opens  unexpectedly 
to  the  view. 

The  chateau  of  Fontainebleau,  which  we  went  to 
see  in  the  evening,  presents  but  a  shabby  outside, 
and  the  inside  offers  but  little  that  is  worth  seeing. 
It  has  suffered,  in  common  with  so  many  other 
places,  from  the  fury  of  the  mob,  and  now,  stripped 
of  its  ancient  honours,  it  stands  a  monument  to 
the  devastation  produced  by  revolutionary  storms. 
It  is  converted  into  the  central  school  of  the  de- 
partment. The  library  is  a  mere  depot  of  old 
editions  of  antiquated  books ;  there  are  many 
copies  of  the  same  work.  The  castle  contains 
six  courts,  with  gardens  behind  and  on  one  side. 


LONDON    TO    GENEVA  1l 

We  were  shown  in  the  centre  of  one  of  the  artificial 
pieces  of  water  adjoining  one  of  these  courts  a 
small  building  in  imitation  of  a  castle,  where  we 
were  told  that  Catherine  de  Medici  used  to  shut 
herself  up  when  she  held  her  secret  councils,  having 
chosen  this  spot  as  affording  her  a  perfect  security 
from  the  danger  of  being  overheard  or  interrupted. 
In  a  long  gallery  called  the  room  of  Francis  I 
were  faded  paintings  by  Leonardo  da  Vinci.  At 
the  door  of  the  library  are  statues  of  Charlemagne 
and  St.  Denis.  The  chapel  is  entirely  pillaged. 
The  only  room  which  has  suffered  no  change  is 
the  boudoir  of  the  Queen.  Superb  pier-glasses 
occupy  three  of  the  sides:  one  of  them  reaches 
down  to  the  floor,  and  at  first  sight  produces  the 
illusion  of  its  being  a  passage  to  another  room. 
On  a  terrace  was  a  fine  statue  of  Francis  I  and 
heads  of  stags.  Fontainebleau  is  a  handsome  town, 
with  wide  streets  and  a  good  inn. 

The  next  morning  we  again  entered  the  wood 
which  surrounds  the  town.  We  had  already  pro- 
ceeded some  miles  when  the  sun  rose  in  all  its 
splendour  and  gave  animation  to  the  prospect 
before  our  eyes.  Woods  and  rocks,  as  if  at  a 
given  signal,  caught  fire,  and  the  blaze  soon  over- 
spread the  forest.  The  fragments  of  rock  were 
now  grouped  in  more  regular  forms,  and  more  dis- 
tinctly exhibited  the  appearance  of  basalt.  We 
had  here  the  choice  of  two  roads  to  Lyons;  we 
preferred  the  route  through  the  Bouronnoist  to  the 
one  through  Burgundy,  which  from  the  accounts 


78        TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

we  collected  is  dull  and  uninteresting.  As  far 
as  Nemours  we  found  the  country  very  beautiful. 
A  river  meanders  on  the  right  through  cultivated 
meadows,  while  the  hills  on  the  left  frequently 
present  fine  groups  of  rocks  in  which  the  basaltic 
form  was  still  more  conspicuous.  Each  turn  of 
the  road  presented  some  new  variety  in  the  scene 
and  refreshed  the  eye  with  beauties  of  a  milder 
cast.  If  anything  diminished  the  pleasure,  it  was 
the  jolting  road,  which  now  began  to  be  sensibly 
felt.  We  had  deserted  the  pavement  which  we 
had  hitherto  enjoyed  from  Paris  and  came  on 
more  uneven  and  furrowed  roads.  The  prospect, 
however,  made  ample  amends.  The  richness  of 
the  pasturage,  always  to  be  expected  near  banks 
of  a  river,  the  variety  of  the  produce,  exhibiting 
a  succession  of  corn  and  of  grass  with  numerous 
ash-trees,  together  with  the  frequent  brooks  that 
anticipated  satiety  and  kept  the  attention  awake, 
concurred  in  filling  the  mind  with  the  most  agree- 
able images  and  soothing  it  by  most  agreeable 
diversity. 

A  fine  opening  before  we  came  to  Croisiere  dis- 
covered to  us  a  church  on  an  eminence  which  for 
many  miles  crowned  the  distant  scene.  The  valley 
widens  as  we  pass  it,  and  it  now  loses  visibly 
in  point  of  beauty,  every  mile  that  we  advance, 
till  it  at  length  degenerates  into  barren  and  sandy 
plains,  over  which  we  should  have  willingly  slum- 
bered if  the  jolting  of  the  carriage  on  its  rough 
and  stony  roads  would  have  permitted  us.  The 


LONDON    TO    GENEVA  79 

cattle  bore  a  diminutive  appearance.  The  road 
passed  through  a  remarkably  fine  avenue  of  tall 
poplars,  which  for  three  miles  were  perfectly  regular. 
We  breakfasted  at  Fontenay,  at  a  miserable  inn. 

The  country  is  dull  after  Montarnis  and  Com- 
modite.  It  brightened  for  a  time  when  we  passed 
through  a  wood,  but  it  soon  relapsed  into  barren 
and  sandy  tracts,  tedious  and  uninteresting.  The 
half  of  a  tedious  day  was  spent  in  crossing  this 
dull  tract  of  country,  the  savageness  of  which 
appeared  in  many  parts  not  to  have  been  confined 
to  the  land.  The  inhabitants  seemed  to  have 
caught  the  infection.  If  the  soil  was  uncongenial 
to  vegetation,  the  disposition  of  its  possessors 
did  not  seem  more  favourable  to  the  progress  of 
civilization.  But  the  face  of  nature  suddenly 
revived  as  we  approached  the  Loire.  Once  more 
the  land  yielded  to  the  plough,  the  fields  resumed 
their  verdure  and  symptoms  of  prosperity  began 
to  appear. 

It  was  at  a  little  distance  from  Briare  that  this 
welcome  change  took  place.  No  sooner  did  the 
peaceful  Loire  disclose  itself  to  our  view  than 
the  features  of  the  country  were  immediately 
softened.  The  slow  and  almost  imperceptible 
motion  of  its  waters  diffused  a  placid  tranquillity 
over  the  scene.  Vineyards  now  for  the  first  time 
began  to  be  frequent,  and  we  gathered  flowers  in 
full  bloom  which  in  the  rough  climate  of  Britain 
were  not  yet  unfolded  from  the  bud.  We  pursued 
the  course  of  the  river  the  rest  of  the  day,  and 


80        TRAVEL  IN  TWO   CENTURIES 

took  up  our  night's  lodging  at  Cosne,1  finding  a 
good  inn.  We  were  struck  with  the  cleanliness 
of  the  inhabitants  and  the  neatness  of  their  dress, 
sure  tokens  of  comfort  and  domestic  happiness. 
At  the  inns  we  were  often  plagued  with  a  number 
of  women  asking  us  to  buy  knives,  corkscrews, 
gloves  and  trinkets. 

Higher  than  Cosne  and  Pouilly,  the  river  is 
straggling  in  its  course,  and  divides  its  waters 
into  many  petty  streams ;  each,  unmindful  of  the 
rest,  pursues  its  way  through  the  sands  with  care- 
less indifference.  We  observed  but  few  boats. 
The  little  depth  of  the  river  appeared  from  its 
looking  of  a  very  light  blue  colour.  We  passed 
through  a  pleasant  country  to  La  Charite.  The 
ruins  of  a  large  and  extensive  castle  and  ramparts 
struck  us  at  the  entrance ;  we  were  told  it  was  the 
remains  of  a  military  post.  A  large  manufactory 
of  buttons  appeared  on  the  south  side  of  the  town ; 
the  trade  was  very  dull.  We  had  now  been 
ushered  into  a  very  rich  and  well  cultivated 
country,  intersected  by  enclosures,  a  sight  to  which 
we  had  long  been  unaccustomed.  In  the  valleys  a 
great  variety  of  gay  and  pleasing  landscapes  passed 
before  us  in  rapid  succession,  and  wherever  we 
came  upon  rising  ground  we  were  gratified  with 
rich  and  enchanting  prospects. 

1  This  made  the  day's  run  seventy-five  miles,  of  which  twenty- 
five  were  done  before  breakfast.  According  to  Burton  Philips, 
the  start  was  made  the  next  morning  at  3  a.m.,  and  thirty  miles 
were  traversed  before  the  party  stopped  for  breakfast  at  Nevers. 


LONDON    TO    GENEVA  81 

We  reached  Moulins,1  a  large  town,  that  night. 
Again  we  were  persecuted  with  offers  of  purchasing 
trinkets.  What  are  manufactured  in  the  town  are 
made  of  glass  beads.  The  quay  above  the  bridge 
was  crowded  with  shipping.  In  the  evening,  as 
we  were  walking  round  the  ramparts,  we  were 
serenaded  by  a  Dutch  concert.  Among  the  great 
variety  of  musicians,  of  which  it  would  be  difficult 
to  enumerate  even  the  kinds,  a  few  of  the  ablest 
only  can  be  particularized.  The  principal  per- 
formers were  the  frogs ;  ducks  bore  a  leading  part, 
crows  and  grasshoppers  frequently  intermingled 
their  melodious  notes;  peacocks  lent  their  aid, 
and  asses  occasionally  joined  when  there  was  a 
full  chorus.  Each  in  turn  bore  away  the  palm 
of  loudness,  but  the  frogs  seemed  most  ambitious 
of  distinction.  All  strained  their  throats  to  hail  the 
approaching  thunderstorm.  The  air  was  perfectly 
calm,  when  a  sudden  whirlwind  surprised  us  before 
we  could  tell  from  which  direction  it  came.  Clouds 
of  dust  were  in  an  instant  raised  on  every  side  and 
enveloped  us  in  their  vortex.  We  sought  for  shelter. 

The  next  day  brought  us  among  mountains. 
We  continued  our  route  in  the  morning  2  through 

1  Burton  Philips  describes  Moulins  as  of  modest  size,  and  enlarges 
upon  the  dirtiness  of  the  inn.  He  further  writes  :  "  At  every 
village  the  vulcans  of  the  place  are  very  officious,  expecting  that 
the  carriage  may  have  broken  a  spring  or  something.  One  of 
them  expressed  his  disappointment  aloud,  saying  :  *  Ah  I  Diable  ! 
il  n't/  a  rien  cass6S "  This  makes  the  day's  journey  about 
eighty-two  miles. 

*  Starting,  as  usual,  at  three  o'clock. 

6 


82        TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

a  very  rich  and  well  cultivated  country.  We 
enjoyed  a  fine  prospect  in  our  descent  to  Gerand 
le  Puy,  whence  we  observed  for  the  first  time  a 
distant  range  of  mountains  in  form  much  resembling 
the  Pentlands,  but  more  extensive,  and  as  we 
approached  nearer  we  found  them  more  woody. 
As  we  had  these  hills  in  sight  for  two  days  and 
passed  over  part  of  them,  we  saw  them  in  a  variety 
of  different  aspects.  They  were  the  "  Montagnes 
des  Forets."  Basaltic  appearance  again  struck  us. 

On  the  top  of  a  hill  near  Droiturier  we  had 
a  magnificent  prospect  of  an  extensive  plain,  ter- 
minated by  a  fine  range  of  mountains  in  Auvergne, 
lifting  their  bold  forms  about  the  distant  horizon. 
We  were  then  near  sixty  miles  from  them.  This 
range  is  terminated  on  the  right  by  the  Puy  de 
Dome,  a  mountain  rendered  for  ever  famous  by 
the  experiments  of  Pascal.1  On  the  left  a  beauti- 
fully cultivated  plain  appeared. 

We  passed  the  night  at  Roanne.2  It  is  a  clean 
town.  We  went  into  a  church  where  there  had 
been  a  christening.  At  the  inn  we  observed 
friction  wheels  under  the  snuffer  pan,  ingenuity 
lavished  to  facilitate  motion  in  a  machine  not 
intended  to  be  moved.  The  bridge  at  Roanne 
not  being  finished,  we  were  obliged  to  ferry  over 

1  In  these  experiments,  which  were  carried  out  in  1648,  a  baro- 
meter was  carried  up  the  mountain,  and  it  was  demonstrated  for 
the  first  time  how  the  column  of  mercury  stood  at  a  reduced  height 
owing  to  the  diminution  of  the  atmospheric  pressure. 

1  Completing  a  day's  drive  of  about  fifty-two  miles. 


LONDON   TO    GENEVA  83 

the  Loire,  an  operation  which  was  performed  with 
the  greatest  ease  and  quickness  by  means  of  a 
rope  which  goes  across  the  river  and  a  sliding 
pulley.  We  now  bade  a  final  adieu  to  the  Loire. 
The  road  continues  rough  and  mountainous  all 
the  way  to  Lyons.  Our  carriages  sustained  without 
injury  the  formidable  descent  of  Mont  Tarare. 
We  were  disappointed  of  the  prospect  we  expected 
from  the  summit.  We  ascended  an  eminence  armed 
with  our  telescopes,  in  hopes  of  commanding  the 
wide  horizon  that  opened  to  our  view,  but  alas ! 
a  thick  mist  hung  over  the  majestic  range  of  the 
Alps,  and  the  hoary  head  of  Mont  Blanc  was 
wrapt  in  an  impenetrable  veil. 

But  we  soon  forgot  the  disappointment  in 
contemplating  the  valley  into  which  we  now  slowly 
descended.  Its  beauties  gradually  unfold  them- 
selves as  we  approach,  new  objects  are  discovered 
at  every  step,  the  prospect  still  gains  imperceptibly, 
till  the  attention  is  suddenly  roused  by  the  wonder- 
ful effect  of  their  assemblage  in  one  enchanting 
scene.  Softness  in  the  individual  parts  is  happily 
united  with  a  romantic  wildness  in  the  whole, 
gentle  slopes  harmonizing  with  the  bold  general 
outline,  varied  by  the  different  hues  of  wood  and 
meadow,  to  which  the  clearness  of  the  atmosphere 
gave  particular  brightness,  with  here  and  there  a 
humble  cottage,  where  content  and  peace  appeared 
to  dwell.  A  scene  like  this  would  at  all  times  have 
highly  gratified  us,  but  after  three  months'  con- 
finement in  the  atmosphere  of  Paris  it  was  capable 


84        TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

of  inspiring  us  with  transport.  After  breakfasting 
at  Tarare  we  proceeded  on  our  way  to  Lyons,1 
where  we  arrived  at  four  in  the  afternoon  and  got 
good  lodgings  at  an  hotel. 

The  environs  of  Lyons  are  delightful ;  the  town 
itself  must  have  been  very  fine  before  the  Revolu- 
tion ;  but  all  its  days  of  prosperity  are  now  past. 
No  part  of  France  has  suffered  more  from  the 
turbulence  and  barbarity  of  the  times  ;  the  direful 
effects  of  the  Revolution  are  everywhere  visible. 
Many  of  the  finest  parts  of  the  town  lie  heaps  of 
ruins.  With  a  population  estimated  at  150,000, 
none  has  the  courage  to  step  forward.  The  spirit 
of  enterprise  seems  totally  extinguished,  and  all 
is  at  a  stand.  Nor  shall  we  think  it  wonderful 
that  it  is  so,  if  we  but  listen  to  the  details  of  the 
most  horrible  of  sieges.2  Events  like  this  are 
enough  to  shake  to  its  foundation  our  confidence 
in  the  course  of  things,  and  by  making  us  distrust 
all  views  into  futurity,  teach  us  to  confine  them 

1  The  length  of  this  day's  journey  amounted  to  about  forty 
miles. 

2  The  siege  referred  to  took  place  in  1793,  when  the  army  of 
the  National  Convention  besieged  the  friends  of  the  Constitutional 
Government,  who  had  previously  ousted  the  Terrorists.    The  siege 
lasted  sixty-three  days,  but  the  town,  reduced  by  famine,  capitulated 
October  9,  1793,  and  hundreds  of  its  inhabitants  and  defenders 
were  marched  out  and  shot  en  masse  in  the  famous  Fusillades. 
Lyons  as  a  town  was  declared  to  be  abolished,  but  Carlisle  writes  : 
"  Had  Lyons  been  of  soft  stuff,  it  had  all  vanished  in  those  weeks, 
and  the  Jacobin  prophecy  had  been  fulfilled.    But  towns  are  not 
built  of  soap-froth  ;  Lyons  town  is  built  of  stone.    Lyons,  though 
it  rebelled  against  the  Republic,  is  to  this  day." 


LONDON    TO    GENEVA  85 

to  present  and  more  immediate  concerns.  Time 
must  obliterate  their  memory  before  their  effects 
can  cease  and  before  the  drooping  commerce  of 
Lyons  can  revive  and  lift  up  her  head. 

We  left  Lyons  at  eight  in  the  morning  of  the  4th  of 
June.  The  day  was  exceedingly  hot.  We  followed 
the  left  bank  of  the  Rhone  all  the  day  ;  indeed,  the 
whole  way  from  Lyons  to  Geneva  the  road  does 
not  once  cross  the  river.  The  road  goes  along  the 
brow  of  a  hill ;  its  windings  allow  frequent  glimpses 
of  Lyons.  It  is  in  these  views  that  Lyons  displays 
its  greatest  magnificence.  At  Montalieul  we  lose 
sight  of  the  Rhone,  nor  do  we  find  it  again  till  the 
spot  where  it  loses  itself  at  Bellegarde.1  A  mist 
deprived  us  of  the  view  of  the  Alps.  The  river 
seemed  for  a  time  to  have  suspended  its  impetuosity 
and  flowed  in  a  more  equable  stream.  The  roads 
were  exceedingly  good  and  the  country  fertile  and 
well  cultivated.  WTe  halted  at  Pont  d'Ain,  where 
the  civility  of  our  host  and  the  cleanliness  of  every- 
thing about  us  persuaded  us  to  deviate  from  our 
intention  and  to  stop  and  eat  what  we  then  called 
a  luncheon,  which  afterwards  passed  for  a  dinner. 
The  road  from  this  place  begins  to  wear  a  pictur- 
esque aspect.  A  small  river  meanders  through 
between  rocks,  partly  bare  and  partly  clothed  with 
verdure.  The  valley  improved  in  beauty  as  we 
advanced,  the  hills  increased  in  height,  and  their 

1  The  famous  "  Perte  du  Rhone,"  where  the  Rh6ne  pursues  a 
subterranean  course  for  a  hundred  and  twenty  yards.  Owing  to 
industrial  developments,  that  is  not  now  the  case. 


86        TRAVEL   IN  TWO   CENTURIES 

form  began  to  assume  a  boldness  which  denoted 
the  approach  into  a  mountainous  district.  At  the 
end  of  this  valley  we  found  a  small  village,1  the 
inhabitants  of  which  flocked  around  our  carriage 
as  if  unaccustomed  to  the  rattle  of  a  carriage.  We 
found  by  the  preparations  that  were  made  that 
we  were  to  have  a  considerable  ascent.  Five 
horses  were  yoked  to  each  of  our  carriages  and  two 
additional  guides  escorted  us.  We  all  got  out 
and  ascended  in  silence.  The  ascent  promised  to 
be  extremely  beautiful.  Wishing  to  enjoy  it 
without  interruption,  I  soon  outstripped  my  com- 
panions and  thus  had  leisure  to  admire.  The  hill 
forms  a  continued  ascent  for  three  miles  on  the 
side  of  the  mountain;  the  valley  below  is  about 
three  miles  in  length,  and  without  being  perfectly 
straight,  is  yet  sufficiently  so  to  allow  frequent 
opportunities  of  enjoying  the  whole  in  one  view. 
It  is  formed  by  two  mountains,  which  are  steep,  yet 
covered  with  vegetation  to  the  summit." 

The  account  here  breaks  off.  It  appears  that 
the  night  was  spent  at  Bellegarde.2  Dr.  Roget 
and  his  pupils  finally  completed  their  journey 
and  arrived  at  Geneva  on  June  5th.  They  stayed 
with  an  old  friend  of  Dr.  Roget,  M.  David  Chauvet,3 

1  This  was  the  village  of  Cerdun. 

a  Having  completed  a  day's  journey  of  fifty  miles.  The  remaining 
ten  miles  to  Geneva  bring  up  the  total  distance  by  road  from 
Paris  to  355  miles. 

8  Dr.  Roget  as  a  boy  had  lived  for  several  years  (1784-93) 
with  M.  and  Mme.  Chauvet  in  Kensington  Square,  London,  when 
M.  Chauvet  acted  as  his  tutor. 


LONDON    TO    GENEVA  87 

at  Paquis,  just  outside  the  town.  M.  Chauvet 
had  not  the  space  to  put  them  up  actually  in  his 
own  house,  but  obtained  accommodation  for  them 
near  by.  Here  they  settled  down  and  the  pupils 
commenced  their  studies.  During  August  they 
made  a  tour  of  the  glacier  district  near  Chamonix 
in  company  with  other  friends  named  Bannerman 
and  Roman,  during  which  they  made  ascents  of 
the  Montanvert,  Brevent,  and  the  Col  de  Balme, 
and  returned  via  Lausanne.  It  is  worthy  of 
record  that  the  guide  employed  by  the  party  was 
the  celebrated  Jacques  Balmat,  reputed  to  be  the 
first  person  who  ascended  Mont  Blanc.1 

In  the  October  they  removed  to  M.  Chauvet's  town 
house  in  the  Rue  Beauregard,  but  unfortunately 
M.  Chauvet  was  taken  ill  and  died  on  February  9th. 
The  party  therefore  found  other  quarters  with  M. 
Peschier  (a  pastor)  and  his  wife.  Otherwise  the 
winter  was  uneventful  and  showed  little  indication 
of  the  troubles  that  were  to  come.  Indeed,  it  was 
not  till  the  following  May  that  any  indication  of 
anxiety  as  to  the  international  situation  is  reflected 
in  any  of  their  letters. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  at  this  time  Geneva 
was  temporarily  French  territory,  having  been 
annexed  by  France  after  a  period  of  strife  and 

1  Although  attempts  had  been  made  before,  the  summit  of 
Mont  Blanc  was  only  reached  for  the  first  time  by  Jacques  Balmat 
in  1786.  He  was  accompanied  by  Dr.  Michel  Paccard,  but  the 
latter  was  overcome  by  exhaustion  before  the  goal  was  reached, 
Balmat  struggling  on  alone,  and  afterwards  rescuing  Dr.  Paccard. 
This  was  the  year  before  the  famous  ascent  of  De  Saussure. 


88        TRAVEL   IN  TWO   CENTURIES 

disorder  in  1798,  i.e.  during  the  interval  since  our 
first  glimpse  of  Switzerland  in  these  pages.  In 
one  of  young  Philips 's  letters  it  is  stated  that 
the  town  was  garrisoned  by  3,000  French  soldiers. 
The  gates  were  shut  at  10  p.m.,  and  any  person 
found  without  a  lantern  after  that  hour  was  put 
into  the  Corps  de  Garde,  and  in  the  morning 
taken  before  the  Mayor.  He  goes  on  further  to 
say,  "  Many  English  do  much  harm  by  their 
extravagance,  though  it  is  said  that  they  do  not 
spend  as  much  as  they  did  before  the  war." 


CHAPTER  V 

1803: 
THE    ESCAPE    FROM    IMPRISONMENT 

WE    cannot    do    better    than    give    in    Dr. 
Roget's    own    words    particulars    of    the 
change    that    came    over    the    situation    and  the 
succeeding  events. 

"  During  the  winter  of  1802-3,  which  we 
spent  at  Geneva,  we  had  frequently  indulged  our 
fancy  in  arranging  the  plan  of  our  summer  occu- 
pations, in  projecting  various  parties  of  pleasure 
on  the  lake  and  neighbouring  mountains,  and  in 
chalking  out  our  route  through  Switzerland  in  the 
tour  we  intended  to  make  in  that  enchanting 
country.  But  these  brilliant  prospects  received  a 
sudden  check  from  the  news  of  the  King's  warlike 
message  to  the  House.1 

It  is  curious  that  the  Genevese  did  not  at  first 
regard  this  declaration  in  as  serious  a  light  as  it 

1  The  King's  Speech  to  Parliament  contained  important  announce- 
ments relative  to  the  strengthening  of  the  Navy  and  Army,  in  view 
of  the  increasing  strain  on  the  relations  between  Napoleon  and 
Britain,  due  to  the  former  having  openly  flouted  the  terms  of  the 
Treaty  of  Amiens. 

89 


90        TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

deserved,  though  it  required  no  extraordinary 
foresight  in  Englishmen  to  perceive  that  the  tone 
assumed  by  both  countries  must  lead  to  a  speedy 
rupture.  I  found  in  all  the  companies  I  went 
into  that  the  general  opinion  was  that  matters 
would  be  accommodated,  and  if  I  ever  ventured 
to  express  opposite  sentiments,  they  were  treated 
with  the  ridicule  attached  to  him  who  views  evil 
in  everything  and  delights  in  contemplating  the 
dark  side  of  every  picture.  During  the  whole 
period  of  subsequent  negotiation  they  seemed 
very  reluctant  to  admit  the  continually  increasing 
probability  of  an  event  which  from  the  beginning 
might  easily  have  been  anticipated. 

Many  circumstances  contributed  to  render  our 
situation  during  this  interval  extremely  perplexing. 
The  letters  I  received  from  Manchester  expressed 
it  as  the  general  opinion  in  England  that  the  differ- 
ences between  the  two  countries  would  be  ulti- 
mately adjusted,  and  Mr.  Philips  wished  us  to 
remain  at  Geneva  till  the  autumn  if  it  appeared 
that  we  might  do  so  with  safety.  He  mentioned 
the  Duke  of  Bedford's  late  arrival  at  Paris  as 
naturally  leading  to  the  supposition  that  he  would 
not  "have  left  England  without  a  certainty  of  being 
comfortable  in  France.  My  young  friends  were 
warmly  attached  to  Geneva,  and  very  anxious  to 
spend  the  summer  there  if  possible.  All  my 
friends  were  unanimous  in  their  opinion  that  no 
possible  inconvenience,  far  less  danger,  could  be 
incurred  by  delaying  our  return  to  England,  and 


ESCAPE    FROM    IMPRISONMENT     91 

that  even  in  the  event  of  a  war  we  should  be 
allowed  to  stay  or  go  where  we  pleased.  They 
adduced  instances  of  several  Englishmen  who  had 
resided  at  Geneva  during  the  last  war.  Whatever 
might  happen,  the  Government  could  not  do 
otherwise  than  give  us  timely  intimation  if  they 
wished  us  to  depart,  and  allow  us  the  necessary 
time  for  leaving  the  territory.  In  our  situation, 
indeed,  an  hour's  notice  was  all  that  we  had  need 
of,  as  we  were  within  six  miles  of  the  frontier. 
Had  I  been  influenced  by  these  considerations 
alone,  I  should  certainly  have  remained  in  perfect 
tranquillity  where  I  was,  and  left  it  to  future 
events  to  decide  upon  the  measures  to  be  adopted. 
But  I  felt  all  the  while  a  reluctance  to  remain 
in  an  enemy's  country.  To  accept  protection  from 
a  foe,  to  eat  of  his  bread,  to  be  sheltered  under 
his  roof,  was  repugnant  to  every  feeling  of  delicacy. 
The  idea  that  you  are  treading  upon  hostile  ground, 
that  you  are  surrounded  with  persons  who  are 
breathing  hatred  towards  your  country  and  plotting 
its  destruction,  is  particularly  grating  to  every 
sentiment  of  patriotism.  To  remain  by  choice  in 
such  a  situation  was  voluntarily  resigning  a  title 
of  which  we  ought  to  be  proud,  and  to  disclaim 
all  the  ties  which  bind  us  to  our  country.  The 
only  circumstance  that  could  make  it  endurable 
was  that  we  were  surrounded  by  friends  warmly 
attached  to  our  interests  and  devoted  to  our 
cause,  to  whom  we  could  open  our  minds  without 
reserve,  and  from  whom  we  could  never  expect 


92        TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

to  perceive  any  symptoms  of  our  being  in  an 
enemy's  country. 

We  had  picked  up  an  acquaintance  with  the 
Commandant  of  the  town,  who  lived  underneath 
us,  in  the  ground  floor  of  the  same  house.  He 
was  not  backward  in  his  protestations  of  friend- 
ship and  assurances  of  our  safety  under  his  imme- 
diate protection. 

Notwithstanding  these  favourable  appearances, 
I  did  not  neglect  to  hold  ourselves  in  readiness  to 
depart  whenever  it  should  become  necessary.  I 
thought  it  desirable,  however,  to  remain  quiet 
for  the  present ;  for,  as  affairs  were  now  evidently 
drawing  very  near  to  a  crisis,  there  was  danger, 
had  we  immediately  set  out  for  Calais,  of  our 
finding  on  our  arrival  all  communication  with 
Dover  interrupted,  while  at  Geneva  we  were  so 
near  the  frontier  that  we  could  easily  get  out  of 
the  French  territory.  On  the  other  hand,  to 
undertake  a  tedious  journey  through  Germany 
in  order  to  return  to  England,  while  a  chance 
remained  of  our  being  allowed  to  pass  by  the 
direct  road,  was  considered  as  too  precipitate  a  step. 
The  determination  of  the  French  Government  with 
regard  to  us  would  soon  be  known,  and  we  might 
shape  our  course  accordingly.  The  French  official 
paper,  indeed,  frequently  intimated  that  the  English 
would  be  allowed  to  remain  in  France  unmolested. 

It  was  at  length  announced  that  Lord  Whitworth 1 

1  The  breaking  off  of  the  negotiations  between  England  and 
France  was  signalized  by  the  withdrawal  of  the  British  Ambassador, 


ESCAPE    FROM    IMPRISONMENT     93 

had  left  Paris,  but  the  news  came  qualified  with 
the  intelligence  that  Buonaparte  had  sent  a  courier 
after  him  with  fresh  concessions  and  pressing 
solicitations  for  his  return.  Thus  we  were  amused 
from  day  to  day  with  contradictory  accounts.  We 
now  made  serious  preparations  for  our  departure, 
and  expected  shortly  to  receive  orders  to  leave  the 
French  territory.  On  Friday,  the  27th  May,  we  had 
been  at  a  party  given  by  the  Commandant.  I  re- 
marked that  no  other  English  but  ourselves  were 
present,  the  company  consisting  chiefly  of  French 
officers  and  the  authorities  of  the  town,  the  Mayor 
and  Prefect.  The  Commandant  observed  to  me  that 
he  could  not  invite  any  other  English  on  account 
of  the  departure  of  our  Ambassador.  I  thought  I 
perceived  a  change  in  his  manner  and  particular 
coldness  towards  us.  It  was  late  when  we  retired, 
and  it  was  then  that  the  Philipses  told  me  of  a 
vague  report  that  news  had  arrived  from  Lyons  of 
the  detention  of  all  the  English  that  were  there.  The 
nature  of  this  report,  as  well  as  the  source  from 

Lord  Whitworth,  from  Paris  on  May  10,  1803.  Among  the  imme- 
diate causes  of  the  rupture  was  the  refusal  by  Napoleon  of  an  offer 
of  England  to  evacuate  Malta  if  French  troops  were  immediately 
withdrawn  from  Holland.  Napoleon  had  not  intended  to  precipi- 
tate the  resumption  of  hostilities  so  soon,  as  he  wanted  time  to 
reorganize  his  naval  forces,  and  he  had  not  regarded  the  Malta 
offer  as  genuine.  Angry  at  his  mistake,  he  was  prepared  to  vent 
his  spite  upon  any  English  subjects  whom  he  could  lay  his  hands 
upon,  and,  as  will  be  seen,  ordered  the  detention  of  all  Englishmen 
of  military  age  then  travelling  in  French  territory.  Actual  naval 
warfare  commenced  on  March  18,  1803,  leading  to  Napoleon's 
determined  attempt  to  invade  Great  Britain. 


94       TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

which  it  came,  did  not  entitle  it  to  the  slightest 
credit. 

About  eight  o'clock  the  next  morning  Burton 
entered  my  room,  followed  by  More,  a  person 
who  let  out  horses,  informing  us  that  all  the  English 
at  Secheron1  had  set  off  early  that  morning  for 
Switzerland,  certain  intelligence  having  reached 
them  of  the  "  arrest  at  ion "  of  the  English  at 
Lyons.  He  offered  us  horses  at  any  time  that  we 
should  want  them,  and  left  us  to  consult  as  to 
what  we  should  do.  I  did  not  hesitate  to  attempt 
an  escape  if  it  were  not  already  too  late.  We  had 
our  carriage  at  Voirembe  [or  Varembe],  two  miles 
from  Geneva ;  thither  I  determined  to  go,  and 
ordered  horses  to  be  sent  there.  I  took  fifteen 
louis  in  my  pocket,  and  looked  everywhere  for  the 
key  of  our  chaise,  but  in  vain.  Having  each  put 
a  couple  of  shirts  in  a  bundle,  and  ordered  Fran£ois 
to  take  it  to  Edgeworths  at  Secheron,  and  there 
to  leave  it,  we  were  going  to  sally  forth,  but  re- 
flecting that  it  would  be  better,  in  order  to  prevent 
confusion,  to  apprise  Mme.  Peschier  of  our  intention, 
we  communicated  to  her  the  news  in  private,  and 
scarcely  waiting  to  hear  what  she  could  say  in 
reply,  we  left  the  house  and  went  to  some  of  our 
friends  in  order  to  give  them  notice  of  their  danger. 
We  first  called  upon  Pattison ;  we  found  M. 
Prevost  with  him,  who  had  heard  of  the  report, 
but  gave  it  no  credit  whatever.  He  told  us  that 

1  Secheron  was  about  one  mile  north-east  of  Geneva,  just  within 
the  frontier. 


ESCAPE    FROM    IMPRISONMENT     95 

the  Paris  dispatches  of  that  day  had  been  received, 
and  that  they  contained  no  orders  that  in  any 
way  related  to  us.  He  spoke  of  this  in  the  most 
positive  terms.  We  might  stay,  he  said,  in  Geneva 
in  perfect  safety  ;  but  if  we  meant  to  go,  there 
was  at  any  rate  no  circumstance  that  justified  a 
precipitate  flight.  We  then  went  to  Davidson 
and  Maude ;  on  our  way  thither  we  reflected  on 
what  M.  Prevost  had  told  us  with  respect  to 
the  actual  arrival  of  the  dispatches  and  the 
improbability  that  there  was  any  ground  for 
the  panic  which  had  seized  the  other  English.  The 
Philipses  were  decidedly  of  opinion  that  we  were 
too  precipitate.  I  then  determined  to  go  home 
alone,  and  appointing  a  place  of  rendezvous  for 
the  Philipses,  to  inquire  into  the  truth  of  the  matter 
and  to  return  to  tell  them  of  the  result.  When 
I  came  to  our  house,  I  saw  General  Dupuch  looking 
quietly  out  of  his  window ;  he  had  heard  of  our 
alarm,  and  assured  us  that  there  was  not  the 
least  foundation  for  it.  He  had  just  opened  his 
dispatches ;  they  contained  nothing  of  the  kind. 
4  Did  you  suppose,'  said  he,  '  that  you  would 
have  been  more  in  safety  in  Switzerland  than 
here  ?  Quite  the  reverse ;  the  order,  if  it  had  come, 
would  have  extended  as  well  to  Switzerland  as  to 
Geneva.'  He  then  assured  us  that  if  such  orders 
had  arrived  he  would  have  certainly  given  us 
notice  underhand,  previous  to  their  being  put  into 
execution.  These  assurances,  which,  coming  from 
the  Commandant,  we  might  in  some  measure 


96        TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

consider  as  official,  entirely  quieted  our  fears, 
which  were  the  subject  of  much  laughter  and 
merriment  during  breakfast.  In  my  own  mind, 
however,  I  took  a  fixed  determination  not  to  wait 
the  arrival  of  the  next  courier  from  Paris  and  to 
expose  ourselves  to  the  possibility  of  another 
alarm. 

Breakfast  was  scarcely  over  before  M.  Prevost 
came  into  my  room,  and  told  me  that  he  was 
just  come  from  the  Prefect's  office,  and  that  there 
was  more  truth  in  the  news  than  he  had  appre- 
hended. Orders  were,  in  fact,  issued  to  arrest  all 
English  above  eighteen  years  of  age.  He  advised 
us  to  be  off  without  losing  a  moment.  We  did 
not  require  this  advice  to  be  twice  given  us.  We 
just  shook  M.  and  Mme.  Peschier  by  the  hand, 
flew  out  of  the  house,  ordered  horses  from  More's 
to  be  sent  to  Voirembe,  and  were  hastening  out 
of  the  town,  when  we  met  Mr.  Ansley,  who  told 
us  that  Edgeworth  was  at  Mr.  Hentsch's.  Thither 
I  accordingly  went,  and  found  a  large  circle  of 
ladies  and  one  gentleman  in  the  counting-house. 
They  were  talking  with  great  eagerness  of  the 
subject  of  our  present  alarm.  The  Marchioness  of 
Donegal  asked  me  a  few  questions  relative  to  it. 
All  was  in  confusion  at  the  counting-house ;  Mr. 
Hentsch  exhibited  the  picture  of  despair.  I  took 
bills  of  exchange  for  the  money  we  had  with  him, 
and  we  again  sallied  forth.  We  passed  the  gates 
without  impediment,  and  proceeded  along  a  dusty 
road  and  in  a  scorching  sun  to  Voirembe.  We 


ESCAPE    FROM    IMPRISONMENT     97 

examined  our  carriage  ;  the  key  had  been  mislaid  ; 
there  was  no  means  of  opening  the  door.  There 
was  only  one  way  of  getting  in,  and  that  was  by 
the  windows.  This  we  did  as  well  as  we  could, 
as  soon  as  the  horses  arrived.  The  loss  of  this 
key  was  a  most  unlucky  circumstance,  as  we  should 
have  been  obliged  to  alight  from  our  carriage  in 
passing  Versoix  in  order  to  be  searched  by  the 
custom  house,  and  our  getting  out  by  the  windows 
would  have  awakened  too  many  suspicions.  We 
therefore  stopped  at  Secheron,  where  there  was  a 
blacksmith,  in  order  to  have  the  lock  picked. 
While  this  was  doing,  Dejean  came  into  the  yard. 
He  knew  positively  that  orders  had  been  sent  to 
Versoix  by  a  courier  to  stop  all  those  who  should 
pass  that  way.  Gendarmes  had  also  been  sent  in 
all  directions  to  guard  every  possible  avenue  to 
Switzerland.  The  most  active  measures  had  indeed 
been  taken  to  prevent  our  escape.  Early  in  the 
morning  every  person  who  let  horses  was  sum- 
moned to  appear  and  ordered  to  sign  a  paper 
promising  not  to  let  horses  during  that  day.  A 
proclamation  to  the  same  effect  had  been  issued, 
and  Edgeworth  had  heard  it  upon  the  Treille  l  as 
he  was  leaving  the  town. 

We  were  all  damped  by  the  intelligence  of  our 
escape  being  already  prevented.  We  offered  Edge- 
worth  a  place  in  our  carriage,  which  he  refused, 
and,  indeed,  I  was  extremely  discouraged  at  the 
idea  of  proceeding,  with  the  certain  prospect  before 

1  A  promenade  in  the  higher  part  of  the  town. 

7 


98       TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

my  eyes  of  being  arrested,  and  perhaps  brought 
back  by  an  escort  and  worse  used  than  if  I  quietly 
submitted.  While  I  was  yet  deliberating,  in  came 
young  Necker,  bringing  me  a  note  from  Mme. 
Peschier,  informing  me  that  the  Commandant 
required  all  above  eighteen  to  surrender  them- 
selves within  twenty-four  hours,  as  they  would 
otherwise  be  regarded  as  prisoners  of  war;  that 
the  same  steps  had  been  taken  in  Switzerland, 
and  that  all  those  who  were  found  there  would 
be  obliged  to  go  to  the  Commandant  du  lieu. 

We  considered  this  intelligence  as  so  far  ad- 
vantageous that  it  allowed  us  a  little  time  for 
breathing  and  for  reflecting  upon  what  we  were 
to  do.  Nothing,  in  the  first  place,  was  required 
of  us  before  the  twenty-four  hours  had  elapsed. 
We  might  still  have  time  to  escape,  if  they  wished 
"  to  connive  at  our  departure  ;  and  if,  on  the  other 
hand,  they  wished  to  stop  us,  the  order  to  the 
frontier  had  already  been  sent,  and  must  before 
that  time  have  arrived.  We  further  considered 
that  to  be  arrested  in  Switzerland,  to  be  dragged 
before  some  unknown  Commandant  in  a  strange 
place,  would  have  been  more  distressing  than  any 
confinement  in  a  place  where  the  inhabitants 
were  so .  well  disposed  towards  us,  and  where  we 
could  expect  every  indulgence  from  the  known 
mildness  of  the  magistracy. 

Thus,  after  mature  deliberation,  did  we  resolve 
upon  returning  once  more  to  Geneva.  We  had  no 
sooner  entered  our  house  than  we  received  a  visit 


ESCAPE    FROM    IMPRISONMENT     99 

from  the  Commandant,  who  came  strutting  into 
the  room  with  an  air  of  importance.  He  read  us 
his  orders  constituting  all  the  English  above  eigh- 
teen prisoners  of  war,  and  required  our  surrender 
before  the  noon  of  the  following  day.  All  the 
other  English  were  to  appear  before  the  Prefect 
on  Monday.  Again  he  told  us  that  similar  orders 
had  been  issued  in  Switzerland,  and  that  those 
who  had  set  off  in  the  morning  would  be  too  happy 
to  receive  permission  to  return  to  Geneva. 

It  did  not,  however,  escape  our  observation 
that  the  order  was  so  expressed  as  to  include 
only  military  men,  and  as  it  appeared  in  print 
could  admit  of  no  other  interpretation.  It  ap- 
peared in  this  light  to  everybody.  The  Secretary 
of  the  Prefecture,  as  we  learnt  from  Dr.  Odier, 
was  also  of  this  opinion,  and  the  Commissary  of 
Police,  who  came  in  the  evening  to  take  our  names, 
was  convinced  that  the  General  had  mistaken  his 
instructions.  The  night  was  passed  in  the  fond 
persuasion  that  I  was  free,  and  the  first  rays  of 
the  sun  which  shot  athwart  my  curtains  awakened 
me  with  the  same  idea  of  liberty,  which  was  so  much 
the  sweeter  as,  for  a  moment,  I  had  thought  it  lost. 
I  had  determined  the  preceding  evening  not  to 
obey  the  summons  of  the  Commandant  to  sur- 
render myself  before  noon  of  Sunday.  There  was 
no  way  sufficiently  delicate  that  occurred  to  me 
of  undeceiving  the  touchy  Commandant  with 
respect  to  the  error  I  supposed  he  had  committed. 
To  think  of  convincing  him  by  open  opposition 


100      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

would  have  awakened  his  pride  and  would  perhaps 
have  called   forth   his   resentment.     I  determined 
to  shield  myself  under  the  order  of  the  Commissary 
of  Police,  who  had  dispensed  me  from  appearing 
before  the  Commandant,  but  enjoined  me  to  come 
with  the  others  before  the  Prefect.     This  resolution 
I  had  declared  the  preceding  evening  to  M.  Peschier. 
I  observed  that  he  appeared  somewhat  uneasy  as 
to  the  issue  of  this  step.     I  was  adhering  to  my 
purpose  and   was   silently  letting    the   time   pre- 
scribed elapse,  when  at  about  half-past   eleven   I 
was  informed  by  M.  Peschier  that  Dupuch  had  in 
reality  been  perfectly  correct.     He  had  had  a  long 
conversation  with  him  in  the  morning.     We  were 
soon   afterwards   joined   by   Mme.   Peschier,    who 
corroborated     that     account.     She    told    us    that 
Dupuch  had  received,  beside  the  orders  he  read 
to  us  yesterday,   secret   orders   of  a   much   more 
explicit  nature  which  he  had  showed  to  her.     These 
expressly  enjoined  him  to  detain  all  the  English 
above  eighteen,  without  making  the  least  excep- 
tion, or  listening  to  any  pretext  whatever ;  and 
that  in  case   of  the   slightest   endeavour  on   our 
part  to  evade  the  decree,  or  the  slightest  expression 
of  disobedience,  he  was  to  send  us  with  an  escort 
of   gendarmerie  to   the   castle   of   Montmelian   in 
Savoy,  and  to  deliver  us  over  to  the  custody  of 
the  Commandant  of  the  fortress.     That  such  were 
his  instructions  was  but  too  true,  for  Mme.  Peschier 
had  read  them  herself.     She  had  likewise  been  told 
by  Dupuch  that  gendarmes  had  been  stationed  in 


ESCAPE   FROM    IMPRISONMENT   101 

every  avenue  of  the  frontier  in  order  to  seize  all 
the  English  who  should  attempt  to  escape.  We 
saw  the  Commandant  a  short  time  after:  he  con- 
firmed the  greater  part  of  what  we  had  heard  from 
Mme.  Peschier,  though  without  mentioning  the 
consequences  of  disobedience.  He  said  that  the 
time  was  prolonged  till  Tuesday  noon,  because 
the  business  at  the  Prefecture  would  take  up  all 
the  morning  of  Monday.  He  was  particular  in 
his  assurances  of  the  folly  of  escaping  or  of  resist- 
ance to  these  orders.  Mme.  Peschier,  when  he 
had  gone,  informed  us  that  he  had  told  her  that 
gendarmes  had  been  stationed  everywhere  on  the 
frontiers  to  seize  all  the  English  who  should 
attempt  to  escape.  After  this  we  had  nothing 
more  to  do  than  to  resign  ourselves  to  our  fate. 
He  let  us  know  that  an  attempt  to  escape  would 
oblige  him  to  imprison  us. 

I  took  a  walk  in  the  evening  beyond  Secheron, 
intending  to  communicate  what  I  knew  to  Edge- 
worth,  but  did  not  find  him  at  home.  I  enjoyed 
for  the  last  time  the  magnificent  spectacle  of  the 
glaciers,  which  then  appeared  in  all  their  grandeur, 
and  of  the  contrasting  sweetness  of  the  opposite 
shores  of  the  lake,  which  that  evening  assumed 
a  most  peaceful  stillness.  The  air  was  uncom- 
monly clear  and  the  setting  sun  tipped  all  the 
snowy  summits  of  the  Alps  with  fire,  till  at  length 
Mont  Blanc,  standing  aloof  from  the  rest,  was 
alone  refulgent  with  its  beams,  and  received  alone 
the  parting  rays.  The  sun  which  was  again  to 


102      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

enlighten  them  would  find  me  in  captivity.  In- 
surmountable barriers  would,  in  that  short  interval, 
have  been  interposed  between  me  and  the  scene  I 
was  contemplating,  nor  could  I  tell  when  I  should 
be  permitted  again  to  behold  them. 

On  Monday  (May  30th)  we  all  appeared  before 
the  Prefect.  He  behaved  to  us  with  great  polite- 
ness, and  admitted  as  sufficient  proof  of  the  ages 
of  the  Philipses  what  had  been  marked  on  their 
passports.  He  declared  them  perfectly  free.  On 
my  mentioning  that  I  was  not  in  the  Militia,  he 
replied  that  he  had  no  power  to  decide  upon  any 
question  of  that  kind,  but  that  if  I  had  any  repre- 
sentation to  make  he  would  be  happy  to  forward 
it  to  Paris.  I  accordingly  drew  up  a  petition, 
which  I  delivered  to  him  myself. 

The  Prefect  took  our  passports,  which  were  all 
on  the  same  sheet,  in  order  to  take  a  note  of  the 
ages  of  the  Philipses.  He  told  me  that  he  would 
send  it  to  me  to-morrow.  I  offered  to  call  for  it, 
but  he  told  me  there  was  no  occasion  to  give 
myself  the  trouble. 

The  next  day  I  went  with  Edgeworth  to  the 
Commandant  to  give  him  our  parole.  He  then 
read  to  us  his  secret  orders.  Edgeworth  inscribed 
his  name  and  deposited  his  passport.  I  could  not 
do  the  same,  mine  being  at  the  Prefecture.  I 
promised  the  Commandant  to  come  to  him  as  soon 
as  I  received  it. 

On  Tuesday  morning  all  of  the  English  inscribed 
their  names.  My  passport  did  not  arrive.  At 


ESCAPE   FROM    IMPRISONMENT   103 

half-past  twelve  the  Commandant  sent  for  me  in 
a  violent  hurry  and  met  me  half-way  upstairs. 
He  was  in  a  violent  passion  at  me  for  not  having 
given  him  my  passport.  I  told  him  that  I  had  not 
received  it.  He  told  me  that  it  was  my  business 
to  go  for  it.  I  did  go  for  it,  but  could  not  get  it 
till  the  evening." 

The  complete  account  from  which  the  last  para- 
graph is  quoted  breaks  off  here,  but  from  an 
abridged  account,  evidently  made  afterwards,  and 
also  in  Dr.  Roget's  handwriting,  we  learn  that  he 
did  actually  give  his  parole  in  the  same  day  as  his 
friend  Edgeworth.  In  this  latter  account  he 
adds : — 

"  We  were  now  completely  in  the  power  of  the 
French  Government,  who  had  thus  doubly  en- 
chained us ;  guarding  us  not  only  by  physical 
force,  but  enchaining  us  also  by  the  invincible 
bonds  of  honour.  It  may  be  easily  conceived  with 
what  reluctance  we  obeyed  this  last  order.  We 
hesitated  long  before  we  complied,  and  it  was  not 
till  after  the  Commandant  at  length  showed  us  his 
secret  orders  to  imprison  us  in  Montmelain  that 
we  gave  the  terrible  promise,  and  we  were  the  last 
of  the  English  that  did  so." 

Both  accounts  break  off  here,  but  it  would 
appear  that  Dr.  Roget  addressed  a  second  petition 
to  the  Commandant,  in  almost  exactly  the  same 


104      TRAVEL   IN  TWO   CENTURIES 

words  as  that  which  he  had  addressed  to  the 
Prefect. 

This  apparently  produced  no  result,  and  Dr. 
Roget  submitted  a  third  "  reclamation,"  addressed 
this  time  to  the  French  Minister  of  War  himself 
in  Paris. 

Dr.  Roget  takes  up  the  story  again  as  follows  : — 

"  It  would  be  useless  to  enumerate  the  various 
reports  which  were  hatched  and  industriously 
circulated  about  the  measures  of  the  Government, 
the  number  of  English  arrested,  the  causes  of  this 
order,  the  detention  of  French  ships,1  etc.  It  was 
curious  to  remark  the  gradual  change  of  public 
opinion  with  respect  to  it.  At  first  all  thought 
that  it  would  not  last  above  a  few  days,  that  it 
would  cease  when  it  had  been  ascertained  who 
were  not  in  the  Militia,  and  that  it  would  cease 
entirely  when  the  ships  detained  were  released. 
Negotiations  were  still  pending.  Courier  after 
courier  arrived,  but  no  change  in  the  measure 
and  no  answers  to  simple  questions  about  it.  We 
waited  a  fortnight  the  answer  to  our  reclamations. 
No  such  answer  arrived.  It  was  daily  expected. 
A  little  more  patience  was  preached  to  us.  The 
Government  had  so  many  to  look  over  that  it 
could  not  be  expected  it  would  answer  them 
immediately. 

1  The  immediate  pretext  for  the  order  for  the  detention  of  the 
English  travellers  was  the  capture  of  certain  French  ships  by  the 
British  Navy. 


ESCAPE    FROM    IMPRISONMENT   105 

I  firmly  thought  I  should  obtain  my  liberty 
without  difficulty  merely  by  the  statement  I  made 
of  my  situation.  Everybody  nourished  this  opinion. 
They  thought  that  if  the  Government  was  acces- 
sible to  the  least  sentiment  of  justice  and  humanity 
I  should  succeed  in  my  application.  How  little 
did  they  know  them  ;  and  yet  one  would  think 
that  they  had  sufficient  experience  of  their 
duplicity.  I  had  always  in  reserve  the  measure 
of  declaring  myself  Genevese.  I  thought  I  could 
do  it  at  any  time,  and  that  it  was  better  to  try 
all  other  means  before  I  made  use  of  this,  to  which 
I  had  naturally  some  reluctance.  It  was  better  to 
go  out  as  English,  if  possible,  than  as  French. 
Delay  could  do  no  harm ;  it  could  not  invalidate 
any  of  my  rights,  and  I  gained  time  to  concert 
my  measures. 

In  the  meantime  the  horizon  darkened  and 
clouds  gathered.  We  gradually  lost  hopes  of  any 
remission  of  rigour  from  the  Government :  never 
was  extinction  of  hope  more  gradual. 

Our  situation  became  by  degrees  more  and 
more  unpleasant  in  proportion  as  it  was  known 
that  the  English  Government  was  determined  to 
carry  on  the  war  with  vigour.  We  were  regarded 
with  more  and  more  jealousy.  The  soldiers 
looked  at  us  with  sneering  faces  as  we  passed, 
the  Jacobins  eyed  us  with  a  darker  scowl.  We 
were  more  and  more  beset  with  spies.  One 
called  on  us  under  pretence  of  charity.  I  discovered 
that  my  German  master  was  a  rank  Jacobin. 


106      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

He  beset  me  with  questions.  Every  time  we 
walked  out  we  were  followed,  and  all  that  we 
said  was  listened  to.  If  two  or  three  assembled 
on  the  Treille,  it  was  reported  in  town  that  the 
English  had  met  together  and  talked  in  high 
terms  against  the  Government.  Various  reports 
were  circulated  against  us :  that  we  were  meditating 
escape ;  that  some  had  actually  escaped ;  that  one 
had  fought  a  duel  with  a  French  officer  and  killed 
him,  and  a  multitude  of  others,  more  ridiculous  the 
one  than  the  other.  They  were  mere  ephemera 
that  did  not  survive  the  day  of  their  birth,  but 
they  continually  harassed  us  and  left  their  sting 
behind.  The  polissons  mocked  us  as  we  passed, 
but  orders  were  given  strictly  to  forbid  this.  Our 
house  was  particularly  marked,  and  reports  that 
we  talked  politics  continually  were  circulated. 
Edgeworth's  servant  discovered  this  at  a  club  of 
Jacobins  into  which  he  got  unsuspectingly. 

After  the  first  alarm  of  deportation  to  Verdun, 
I  revolved  in  my  mind  projects  of  escape.  I 
meditated  various  ways  of  disengaging  myself 
from  my  parole,  telling  the  Commandant  that 
I  gave  him  back  my  parole,  risking  being  sent 
to  Montmelian  and  bribing  the  escort.  The 
Genevese  project  I  seriously  took  into  consideration. 
At  length,  after  long  meditation  and  many  restless 
and  anxious  nights,  a  fortunate  idea  of  combining 
the  two  plans  presented  itself :  that  of  declaring  to 
the  Commandant  that  I  was  Genevese  and  as  such 
did  not  any  longer  consider  myself  his  prisoner 


ESCAPE    FROM    IMPRISONMENT   107 

and  on  parole.  The  moment  I  had  said  this  I 
was  to  amuse  the  Commandant  by  pretending  to 
go  to  the  Prefect,  etc.,  and  this  was  the  moment 
of  decamping.  I  was  to  walk  out  of  the  town 
shabbily  dressed  in  my  greatcoat,  old  hat,  crab 
stick,  dark  pantaloons,  and  red  handkerchief 
round  my  neck,  wearing  my  nightshirt  without 
a  frill  and  a  dirty  waistcoat.  I  should  have 
passed  out  by  the  Porte  neuve,  the  least  suspected 
gate,  because  the  most  opposite  to  my  real  route. 
If  I  had  met  anybody  I  was  to  tell  them  I  was 
going  to  bathe  in  the  Arve.  I  was,  in  fact,  to 
take  that  road,  and  meeting  a  man  to  whom 
I  was  not  to  speak,  but  whom  I  was  to  follow 
twenty  yards  behind,  should  have  walked  behind 
Hermance  through  a  wood  to  a  boat  on  the 
shore,  which  he  would  have  provided  for  me. 
We  should  have  crossed  the  lake  at  Coppet,  gone 
on  in  a  charabanc  to  Rolle,  thence  through  Switzer- 
land by  by-roads  out  into  Germany.  The  Philipses, 
of  course,  would  have  been  sent  off  some  time 
before,  probably  to  Constance.  They  should  not 
have  known  where  they  were  going  till  the  moment 
they  set  out,  but  I  should  have  made  them  believe 
they  were  going  to  M.  Blanchenay  at  Morges. 

I  executed  all  the  parts  of  this  plan  perfectly. 
It  took  some  time  to  arrange  them,  to  have  every 
part  in  readiness.  At  length  all  was  ready,  and 
it  required  only  to  fix  the  time  and  to  set  fire 
to  the  train.  Unfortunately,  events  obliged  me 
to  precipitate  the  execution  and  change  it  con- 


108      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

siderably.  I  was  crossing  the  dinner  salon  to 
go  to  my  room,  when  I  perceived  Mme.  de 
Stael 1  in  the  parlour  with  the  Peschiers  and 
Davidson.  I  entered.  I  had  not  sat  down  two 
minutes  when  she  suddenly  turned  to  me  and 
said  in  English :  c  I  have  very  bad  news  for  you. 
You  are  going  all  to  be  sent  to  Verdun:  I  have  it 
from  an  unquestionable  source.  No  reclamations 
will  be  attended  to.  You  will  set  out  in  about 
a  week.'  She  then  turned  to  Mme.  Peschier 
and  talked  French.  Soon  afterwards  she  added 
in  English :  '  All  the  English  in  Switzerland  are 
arrested.  Lord  J.  Campbell  and  Dr.  Robertson 
have  been  stopped  at  Baden;  the  former  has 
escaped  in  woman's  clothes,  the  latter  is  in  confine- 
ment.' She  then  apologized  to  Mme.  Peschier 
for  talking  English,  saying  that  she  could  not 
resist  every  opportunity  of  improving  herself  in  the 
language.  She  soon  left  the  room.  I  accompanied 
her  downstairs,  and  she  spoke  to  me  a  few  words 
more  on  the  subject,  especially  enjoining  secrecy.  I 
begged  permission  to  communicate  it  to  Edgeworth, 
to  which  she,  after  some  hesitation,  consented. 

1  Mme.  de  Stael  (1766-1817)  was  the  wife  of  Baron  de  Stael 
Holstein,  Swedish  Minister  in  Paris,  and  was  the  daughter  of  the 
famous  Jacques  Necker  (1733-1804),  originally  a  Genevese  banker, 
who  became  Finance  Minister  to  Louis  XVI.  During  the  "  Terror  " 
Mme.  de  Stael  was  a  refugee  in  England,  but  had  afterwards 
returned  to  Paris,  where  she  remained  till  Napoleon,  on  becoming 
First  Consul,  ordered  her  to  leave.  At  the  time  we  are  considering 
she  was  staying  with  her  father  at  Coppet,  near  Geneva.  Dr. 
Roget  had  met  her  in  the  previous  summer  at  Lausanne. 


ESCAPE    FROM    IMPRISONMENT    109 

Thunderstruck  at  this  news,  which  deranged  my 
schemes  so  much  and  left  me  so  little  time  to 
execute  them,  exposed  the  Philipses  and  raised  so 
many  difficulties  in  my  way  through  Switzerland, 
I  took,  however,  my  resolution  from  that  instant 
to  send  away  the  Philipses.  I  went  immediately 
to  their  room,  and  told  them  to  prepare  to  leave 
Geneva  the  next  day  for  Morges,  and  let  them 
into  the  knowledge  of  Verdun,  but  enjoining 
secrecy.  I  walked  to  Edgeworth  at  Secheron  in 
a  burning  sun  and  communicated  to  him  the 
news.  He  disbelieved  it. 

We,  however,  resolved  to  carry  my  plan  of 
escape  into  execution,  and  Tuesday  was  the  day 
fixed  upon.  This  was  Saturday. 

Sunday,  July  17 th. — Endeavoured  to  speak  to 
the  Commandant,  but  could  not  get  a  sight  of 
him.  He  was  at  parade.  Dodged  him  all  day, 
but  he  went  out  to  dine  in  the  country. 

ISth. — Went  to  him  early  in  the  morning. 
Told  him  that  I  meant  to  send  away  the  Philipses 
to  Morges.  He  exclaimed  against  it.  I  told  him 
I  had  received  orders  from  their  parents.  He  told 
me  he  had  received  answers  to  all  the  reclamations, 
that  they  were  all  refused,  and  that  he  had  orders 
*  de  vous  faire  partir,'  and  added,  *  Je  me  suis 
de"j&  compromis  en  1'eloignement.'  '  If  that  is 
the  case,  I  shall  reclame  myself,'  said  I.  4 1 
am  a  French  citizen,  et  je  ne  me  considere  point 
comme  votre  prisonnier.'  l  Ce  ne  sont  pas  mes 
affaires,'  he  said;  'allez  vite  au  Maire  ct  au  Prefet, 


110      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

vous  n'avez  pas  un  moment  a  perdre.'  I  turned 
back  and  asked  him  whether  the  orders  would  be 
executed  in  a  week.  '  Much  sooner  than  that,' 
he  answered ;  *  perhaps  the  day  after  to-morrow.' 
I  went  to  breakfast.  He  came  up  while  I  was 
breakfasting,  seemed  surprised  to  find  me  still 
there,  repeated  his  news,  and  asked  me  very 
slyly  whether  I  had  received  intimation  of  it 
before.  I  replied  in  the  negative.  He  told  me 
that  I  ought  not  to  lose  a  moment.  'Stop,'  said 
I,  *  till  I  have  swallowed  a  mouthful  of  milk.' 
I  then,  instead  of  going  to  the  Maire,  went  to 
Prevost  and  consulted  with  him.  He  advised 
me  to  be  very  cautious,  and  perplexed  me  terribly. 
I  went  to  the  Mairie.  The  Maire  was  absent. 
Picot,  the  substitute,  told  me  that  all  was  easy. 
They  looked  into  the  books  for  my  name  ;  it  was 
not  to  be  found,  but  at  length  they  did  find  it. 
Prevost  ran  in  with  the  treaty  in  his  hand.  The 
point  was  clear :  I  was  only  to  get  my  father's  and 
grandfather's  name,  etc.  I  went  to  my  uncle's 
for  this,1  meditating  my  prospects.  Prevost  at 
my  heels  ran  after  me,  advising  me  to  go  directly 
to  the  Prefect.  I  hesitated.  I  put  him  off. 
Once  he  penetrated  me — at  least,  I  thought  so. 
He  said  that  all  escape  would  be  physically  im- 
possible. To  this  I  did  not  appear  to  pay  the 
least  attention.  I  was  resolved  to  avoid  going 
to  the  Prefect's  as  much  as  possible,  and  to  push 

1  This  uncle  was  Jean  Samuel  Roget  (born  1747),  his  father's 
only  brother,  and  an  engraver  by  profession, 


ESCAPE   FROM    IMPRISONMENT   111 

on  my  project  of  escape,  which  now  could  not 
hurt  the  English.  I  thought  I  could  accomplish 
it  as  before.  I  returned  home,  settled  affairs 
with  the  Philipses,  and  did  nothing  that  day.  Next 
morning  (July  19th)  the  Philipses  set  off.1  I 
went  home.  The  next  day  I  was  to  escape.  I 
went,  however,  to  the  Mairie  ;  got  the  neces- 
sary formalities  accorded  with  some  trouble.  I 
was  now  Genevese  and  none  could  touch  me. 
I  could,  however,  get  no  passport.  I  asked 
M.  Picot  for  it,  but  he  begged  me  to  wait 
till  the  return  of  the  Maire.  I  met  the  Com- 
mandant. He  told  me  that  I  must  go  to  the 
Prefect.  .  .  ." 

The  full  account  from  which  we  have  been  quoting 
breaks  off  here,  but  the  doings  during  the  remainder 
of  the  day  are  summarized  in  a  briefer  diary  as 
follows  : — 

"  Got  a  duplicate  of  the  certificate  from  the 
Mairie.  Went  to  the  Prefect ;  saw  him.  He 
assured  me  that  I  should  not  go  to  Verdun  as 
the  rest  were  to  go,  but  I  must  wait  an  answer 
fiom  Paris  and  present  to  him  my  petition.  Called 
on  Mr.  Hentsch  (banker);  gave  the  petition  to 
the  Prefect." 

We    are    fortunate    in    possessing    the    original 
document    which    Dr.    Roget    obtained    from    the 
1  Dr.  Roget  accompanied  them  as  far  as  Slcheron. 


112      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

Maire   certifying   his   Genevese   citizenship.     It   is 
worded  as  follows  : — 

"  Le  Maire  de  la  Ville  de  Geneve  certifie  que 
le  Citoyen  Jean  Roget,  ne  le  30  mars  1751,  etoit 
citoyen  de  la  ci-devant  Republique  de  Geneve, 
et  que  son  fils  Pierre  Marc  Roget,  ne  le  18  Janvier 
1779  a  Londres,  a  conserve  sa  qualite  de  ci-devant 
Genevois,  en  vertu  de  laquelle,  et  d'apres  1'article  ler 
du  traite  de  reunion,  en  ces  termes,  'Les  Genevois 
absens  ne  seront  point  considered  comme  emigres. 
Us  pourront  en  tous  terns  revenir  en  France  et  s'y 
etablir,5  etc.  Le  dit  Pierre  Marc  Roget  a  declare 
voulour  de  fixer  dans  sa  patrie  et  jouir  des  droits 
attaches  a  la  qualite  de  Citoyen  fran9ais.  Et 
s'est  fait  inscrire  sur  le  tableau  de  la  Commune. 

Geneve  le  29  messidor  an  II.1 

(Signed)       PICOT,   adjt. 

GEBVAIS,  S.  en  chef." 

The  document  bears  the  stamp  of  the  Mairie  of 
the  Commune  of  Geneva,  French  Republic. 

The  narrative  is  best  continued  by  giving  the 
following,  which  is  apparently  the  draft  of  a  letter 
to  his  pupils.  It  is,  however,  uncompleted,  and 
may  not  have  ever  reached  them. 

"Mv  DEAEEST  FRIENDS, 

You  will,  I  am  afraid,  have  been  alarmed 
at  the  sudden  message  I  sent  to  you  to  remove 

1  July  17,  1803. 


ESCAPE   FROM    IMPRISONMENT   113 

from  Lausanne  to  Neuchatel.  You  must  surely, 
however,  have  believed  I  took  this  step  for  very 
good  reasons.  Personal  safety,  as  your  father 
has  often  said,  must  be  paramount  to  every  other 
consideration,  and  I  had  good  reason  at  that  time 
to  doubt  your  being  in  safety  at  Lausanne.1  The 
Commandant  was  furious  at  the  idea  of  your 
having  got  out  of  his  reach ;  he  wished  very  much 
you  would  return  to  Geneva,  and  even  made  use 
of  threatening  language  in  case  you  did  not. 
All  these  were  reasons  for  removing  you  further 
off,  and  for  placing  you  for  the  moment  in  a  place 
of  perfect  security.  I  exposed  myself  to  the 
effects  of  his  resentment  by  doing  so,  but  this 
I  did  not  regard,  so  that  your  safety  could  be 
secured.  I  thought  also  you  would  prefer  being 
at  Neuchatel  to  being  at  Lausanne,  where  you 
had  no  acquaintances.  Besides,  it  is  always  so 
much  gained  on  the  road  to  Germany.  I  had 
no  time  to  explain  to  you  the  few  lines  in  which 
I  desired  you  to  depart.  I  must  now  tell  you 
what  has  passed.  I  believe  it  was  last  Wednesday 
or  Thursday  morning  that  I  wrote  to  you  that 
my  prospects  of  obtaining  a  passport  were  ex- 
ceedingly bright.  The  Prefect  had  almost  promised 
it  to  me,  and  his  secretary  also.  On  Thursday 
all  the  English  appeared  before  the  Prefect  and 
were  told  that  the  Government  had  given  orders 
that  they  should  be  sent  to  Verdun.  I  had  received 

1  Neuch&tel  was  then  a  principality  attached  to   the  kingdom 
of  Prussia. 

8 


114      TRAVEL   IN  TWO   CENTURIES 

a  summons  the  day  before  to  appear  before  the 
Prefect,  but  of  course,  as  I  had  declared  myself 
Genevese,  did  not  attend  to  it.1  The  English 
were  ordered  to  appear  before  the  Commandant 
the  next  day  (Friday)  to  receive  further  instruc- 
tions relative  to  their  transportation.  I  was  not 
a  little  surprised  the  Thursday  morning  to  receive 
a  note  from  the  secretary  of  the  Prefect  desiring 
to  see  me  at  three  o'clock  for  some  formality  I 
was  to  execute.  I  came  at  the  time  appointed. 
He  then  told  me  that  the  Commandant  had  had 
a  long  conversation  with  the  Prefect  about  me, 
that  he  was  mechant,  and  required  my  father's 
certificate  of  baptism,  etc.,  and  proofs  of  my  being 
the  person  I  pretended  to  be.  He  required  all 
these  before  seven  the  next  morning,  and  I  clearly 
saw  that  if  I  could  not  get  them  I  should  have 
been  comprised  in  the  list  of  those  to  be  sent  to 
Verdun.  The  Commandant  would  be  satisfied  on 
no  other  conditions.  You  may  easily  conceive 
the  difficulties  I  was  under  to  obtain  papers  at 
the  time  of  the  evening  when  all  the  offices  were 
shut.  I  had  literally  to  run  about  the  whole 
town  all  the  evening  till  half-past  ten  o'clock. 
By  dint  of  recommendation,  persuasion  and 
insisting  on  the  thing,  I  got  one  of  the  papers, 

1  We  learn,  however,  from  the  diary  already  referred  to  that 
at  the  request  of  Becadelli  (the  Prefect's  secretary),  he  signed  a 
declaration  that  he  had  not  been  naturalized  in  England  and  had 
not  borne  any  commissions  from  foreign  nations.  Becadelli  promised 
that  the  Prefect  would  give  him  an  authorization  that  he  was  not 
included  under  the  measures  (of  imprisonment). 


ESCAPE    FROM    IMPRISONMENT   115 

the  certificate  of  my  father's  birth.  The  other 
act  (acte  de  verite),  attesting  the  identity  of  my 
person,  was  to  have  been  done  before  a  Juge  de 
Paix,  but  he  was  ten  miles  in  the  country.  I 
found  his  substitute  in  a  remote  corner  of  Plain- 
palais;  he  was  playing  at  bowls  at  his  circle 
(club).  I  had  great  difficulty  in  getting  him  to 
listen  to  me.  At  length,  by  tickling  the  palm  of 
his  hand,  he  promised  to  be  ready  for  me  by  six 
the  next  morning,  and  in  the  meanwhile  I  was 
to  collect  eight  witnesses,  and  to  be  sure  of  finding 
them  all  at  home  the  next  morning,  and  to  bring 
him  their  Christian  names,  etc.  This  took  me 
till  half-past  ten.  Luckily,  it  was  the  night  of 
the  parsons'  society.  I  went  there  with  M.  Peschier, 
and  got  four  at  one  visit,  otherwise  I  should  have 
found  it  more  difficult.  At  six  I  was  running 
again  to  the  Notary  ;  he  was  in  bed.  I  called  him, 
however,  and  he  slowly  arose  and  fell  to  work, 
and  in  half  an  hour  the  deed  was  executed  attest- 
ing that  I  was  really  the  son  of  the  person  I  called 
my  father.  I  had  now  to  run  about  for  signatures. 
I  found  many  of  the  witnesses  in  bed.  Some 
got  up  for  me,  others  signed  in  bed,  and  at  length 
my  number  was  completed.1  Another  difficulty 
now  occurred:  the  Bureau  d'enregistrement  was 

1  The  following  are  the  names  of  those  who  signed  the  certificate  : 
Samuel  Roget  (his  uncle),  Ren6  Guillaume  Provost  Dacier  (lawyer), 
Pierre  PreVost  Marcet  (professor),  J.  Peschier  (pastor),  Antoine 
Roustan  (pastor),  Jean  Lequaint  (pastor),  Jean  Peschier  (doctor) 
and  Louis  Odier  (doctor). 


116      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

shut,  and  nothing  could  be  done  without  it.  I 
waited  on  the  secretary  of  the  Prefect.  He  seemed 
to  think  it  absolutely  necessary  to  get  the  paper 
immediately.  With  great  difficulty  I  got  the 
Notary  to  let  him  see  it  before  it  was  registered ; 
then,  and  not  till  then,  was  I  safe  from  being 
sent  to  Verdun.  I  then  wrote  you  a  hasty  letter. 
The  fatigue  and  anxiety  I  had  undergone  were 
so  great  that  I  was  very  ill  all  day.  No  passport 
would  be  granted  to  me.  I  must  wait  the  answer 
from  Paris.  By  taking  care  of  myself,  I  have 
now  recovered  from  my  fatigue,  but  some  anxiety 
yet  remains.  I  have,  however,  received  since  a 
letter  from  Delessert,1  which  gives  me  great  hopes 
of  success  from  a  letter  which  my  uncle 2  has 
written  directly  to  Talleyrand,3  and  which  he 
will  lay  before  the  Chief  Consul  on  his  arrival 
at  Bruxelles.  An  answer  to  this  I  may  receive 
very  shortly.  The  issue  of  this  message  to  Paris 
must  at  any  rate  be  favourable.  The  Comman- 
dant is  mollified  very  evidently  by  the  letter  of 
Delessert,  which  I  showed  him.  .  .  ." 

The  letter,  which  is  unfinished,  breaks  off  here, 

1  Etienne  Delessert  (1735-1818)  had  been  a  financier  of  great 
influence  in  France  before  the  Revolution,  and,  although  arrested 
during  the  "  Terror,"  had  regained  much  of  his  influence  and 
position  under  Napoleon. 

a  Mr.  (afterwards  Sir)  Samuel  Romilly. 

3  There  were  particular  reasons  why  Talleyrand  should  listen 
with  favour  to  Romilly's  application,  because  when  he  was  in 
London  as  a  refugee  during  the  "  Terror  "  he  had  received  much 
kindness  from  Romilly. 


ESCAPE    FROM    IMPRISONMENT    117 

but   we   are   able   to   continue   the   narrative   by 
quoting  from  Dr.  Roget's  diary. 

"  Sat.,  23rd  (July). — Went  to  S£cheron  at  seven 
and  concocted  plan  of  escape.  Packed  up  things. 
Edge  worth  drank  tea.1 

Sun.,  24>th. — The  English  set  out  for  Verdun  : 
Percy,  Edge  worth,  Dendy,  Maude  and  Packington. 
Egan  delayed  it  for  three  days  with  their  servants, 
and  a  gendarme  called  on  M.  Dayrolles. 

Mon.,  25th. — Went  to  Secheron.  Dined  with 
M.  Dayrolles ;  revolved  plans.  At  eight  o'clock 
in  the  evening  took  the  resolution  of  asking  for 
a  Paris  passport,  called  on  M.  Maurice  (the  Maire), 
told  him  I  wanted  to  go  to  Paris,  and  asked  him 
if  he  would  give  me  a  passport.  He  said  he  would 
if  I  would  call  the  next  morning.  I  prepared  all 
for  my  departure.  Called  on  Mme.  de  Stael. 

Tue.,  26th. — Went  about  my  passport.  All  went 
smoothly.  Wrote  to  Hentsch  for  money.  Re- 
ceived an  invitation  from  Mme.  de  Stael,  which 
of  course  I  declined.  At  twelve,  got  my  passport ; 
at  one,  dined." 

The   actual   passport   is   still   preserved,    and   is 
reproduced  in  Fig.  5. 
The  diary  continues  :— 

"  Had  delay  on  account  of  some  money  I  wished 
to  get  past  Versoix.  Set  out  at  4  p.m.  from 

1  This  was  the  last  time  he  saw  his  friend  before  the  latter's 
imprisonment. 


118      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

the  house  and  left  Geneva ;  passed  out  of  the 
gates.  Called  on  Mme.  Chauvet,  took  my  sticks 
and  went  to  Secheron ;  got  into  the  cabriolet 
at  five  and  drove  off.  Passed  Versoix  with 
difficulty;  stopped  half  an  hour  at  Nion,  got  to 
Merges  at  twelve  at  night ;  supped. 

27th. — At  four  in  the  morning  was  off  for  Orbe, 
where  I  breakfasted ;  dined  at  Joudun ;  slept 
at  St.  Aubin,  and  got  to  Neuchatel  at  seven. 
After  many  inquiries  found  the  Philipses.  The 
main  spring  of  the  carriage  was  broke  !  " 

Before  continuing  the  narrative  of  the  escape 
and  return  to  England  of  the  reunited  party, 
it  is  of  interest  to  quote  the  following  notes  which 
we  have  in  Dr.  Roget's  handwriting,  in  which  he 
commits  his  thoughts  to  paper,  relieves  his  feel- 
ings, and  reveals  the  depth  of  his  righteous 
indignation  at  the  way  the  Commandant  had 
treated  him. 

"  The  departure  of  the  English  at  Secheron 
was  the  first  alarm  I  received.  I  immediately 
acted  as  if  there  was  real  cause  for  alarm,  though 
every  circumstance  tended  to  make  it  appear 
ridiculous.  The  measure  was  so  unprecedented 
and  so  atrocious  as  to  appear  destitute  of  all 
foundation.  Every  circumstance  tended  to  delude 
us  as  to  the  real  nature  and  extent  of  the  order. 
Ambiguous  wording,  public  opinion  and  the 
language  of  the  Commandant  made  us  regard  it 


PASSE-PORT. 


N 


DEPARTEMENT    DU    LEMAN. 


Lois  des  10  Vend^miaire  ,  17  Ventose  an  IV,  et  28  Vend&niaire  an  VI. 

Maine  de  la   V'dle  dc  Geneve.  ^ 

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le  Citoyen 

au  Tableau  de  la  Ville  de    C,''H-'-H'*->%~'    f- —  sous  le  N*.    .'" 

/2      *- 
domicilie  a    L'/ILH  t^        profession  d         — 


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liv-r^  par  aous  Maire  »uAdjointi  de  la  Ville  de  Geneve,  le    ^/ 

dfJi*««»«3«»->      »iU'.-)«     de  la  R^publique  Fran{ai»e  ,   une  et  indivUiiila. 


Le  Main  au  AJjoirt , 


Sierftain  en  C'--r. 


Kl(i.    5.      -KACSIMII.K    l)K    AC'ITM.    1'ASSI'OltT    WHICH     KNAItl.KK    DK.    KDGI.T 
TO    I.KAVK    OKNKVA    IN    1S!)3. 


ESCAPE   FROM    IMPRISONMENT   119 

as  not  applying  to  us  and  as  lasting  but  a  very 
short  time.  When  we  fled  we  were  assured  we 
should  be  stopped.  The  Commandant  threatened 
us  with  confinement  at  Montmelian  upon  the 
least  offer  of  resistance.  We  did  not  think  it 
worth  while  risking  a  second  attempt  at  escape, 
and  particularly  as  all  said  it  would  compromise 
the  other  English.  Maude  and  Mr.  Ansley  did 
attempt  it,  and  had  got  as  far  as  Secheron,  but 
Lord  Beverly  dissuaded  them  from  proceeding. 
I  might  have  passed  for  under  eighteen,  for 
Genevese,  for  anything,  and  most  probably  would 
not  have  been  classed  with  the  English.  But 
unfortunately  my  passport  was  on  the  same  piece 
of  paper  with  that  of  the  Philipses,  whose  ages 
being  marked,  it  procured  them  exemption.  My 
age  and  country  were  also  marked  upon  mine. 
In  order  to  prove  the  first  I  was  obliged  to  show 
the  last,  which  was  on  the  other  side  of  the  leaf. 
Otherwise  I  might  have  torn  it  off  and  burnt 
or  hid  it. 

The  idea  of  declaring  myself  Genevese  did  some- 
times occur,  but  I  thought  it  better  to  wait.  I  had 
a  great  reluctance  to  do  so,  as  it  was  renouncing 
my  English  character.  I  wished  to  share  the 
same  fate  with  the  Philipses,  and  never  to  run  a 
chance  of  being  separated  from  them.  I  knew 
not  for  the  moment  the  consequences  of  such  a 
step:  perhaps  I  should  be  riveted  still  faster  than 
before.  I  had  heard  so  much  of  being  included 
in  the  conscription  that  I  hesitated  before  I  would 


120      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

at  once  expose  myself  without  possibility  of 
retreat  to  the  unknown  dangers.  The  evil  I 
then  bore  was  present  and  known — at  least,  I 
imagined  I  knew  it.  Much  indeed  was  I  mistaken, 
for  how  can  any  honest  mind  conceive  the  con- 
catenation of  perfidy  and  malice  which,  spread 
unseen  before,  behind  and  on  every  side,  and 
drawn  by  gentle  degrees  closer  and  closer,  lays 
hold  first  of  one  limb  and  then  of  another ;  ties 
the  knot  unperceived,  while  the  generous  soul 
is  reposing  in  the  peaceful  slumbers  of  confidence ; 
then  drags  the  net  closer  and  closer;  lulls  sus- 
picion, when  just  awakening,  by  a  momentary 
relaxation ;  entangles  and  perplexes  all  the  move- 
ments ;  then  seizes  with  one  grasp  his  prey,  now 
roused  to  indignation  and  struggling  in  vain  to 
wrench  asunder  his  fetters.  This  is  now  the 
moment  for  insult.  He  drags  the  victim,  bound 
hand  and  foot,  before  him,  and  with  the  greatest 
civility  spits  him  in  the  face.  The  imperious  tone 
of  vanity  when  invested  with  authority,  the  sharp 
accents  of  waspish  irritability,  or  the  assumed 
politeness  of  an  exulting  foe :  these  are  what  he 
must  expect  to  bear  alternately,  according  to 
the  humour  of  the  moment.  Of  all  these  the 
last  is  the  most  cutting  and  bitter.  One  can 
bear  open  hatred ;  vanity  excited  our  contempt ; 
a  gust  of  passion  leaves  no  impression  on  the 
mind ;  but  the  sneering  compliments  of  a  pre- 
tended friend,  offering  us  consolation  and  holding 
out  to  us  his  protection,  when  we  know  the  malice 


ESCAPE    FROM    IMPRISONMENT   121 

that  rankles  in  his  heart,  that  he  considers 
us  as  his  dupe,  gulled  by  his  smiles,  decoyed 
by  his  fair  words,  and  that  when  offering  us 
friendship  he  is  all  the  while  plotting  our  de- 
struction. .  .  . 

I  have  at  length  escaped  from  their  clutches  ! 
The  Tygers  (sic)  of  Africa  are  less  to  be  dreaded, 
are  less  ferocious  than  these.  Monsters  vomited 
up  from  the  deep  are  less  terrible.  Demons  com- 
missioned from  Hell  to  execute  some  infernal 
purpose  and  overrunning  the  earth,  spreading 
wheresoever  they  go  the  calamities  of  plague, 
pestilence  and  famine,  are  milder  and  more  to 
be  trusted  than  they.  The  land  is  blasted  which 
they  tread  upon.  The  air  which  blows  from  their 
accursed  country  is  loaded  with  infection.  All 
is  blighted  and  corrupted  by  their  envenomed 
touch.  Dissimulation  and  corruption  are  in  the 
van,  perfidy  and  treachery  pave  the  way  and 
ruin  and  horror  are  in  the  rear.  Their  track  is 
marked  by  devastation  and  destruction.  Death 
pursues  their  footsteps  and  swallows  up  what 
they  leave.'* 

From  Neuchatel  all  three  succeeded  in  getting 
away  into  Germany,  in  circumstances  which  can 
be  detailed  partly  by  reproducing  a  draft  of  a 
letter  written  by  Dr.  Roget  at  Stuttgart,  whither 
they  arrived  on  August  3rd,  and  partly  by  quoting 
from  the  diary  already  referred  to.  The  letter 
commences  : — 


122      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

"  Thank  Heaven,  we  are  now  all  three  in  perfect 
safety.  We  have  saved  ourselves  from  the 
clutches  of  a  set  of  tygers  in  human  shapes.  I 
cannot  find  words  sufficiently  expressive  of  the 
horror  and  indignation  I  feel  at  the  perfidious 
conduct  of  the  Government  from  whose  tyranny 
we  have  escaped.  It  is  impossible  for  me  to 
give  a  connected  description  of  the  series  of 
vexations,  of  difficulties  and  of  dangers  with 
which  I  have  had  to  struggle.  Volumes  could 
not  paint  the  anxieties,  the  sufferings,  which  I 
have  gone  through  for  the  last  two  months.  .  .  . 

The  cares  and  deep  anxieties  we  have  suffered, 
and  which  you  no  doubt  have  shared,  are  happily 
at  an  end.  Their  remembrance  will  now  only 
tend  to  heighten  the  pleasure  we  feel  at  our 
deliverance  from  them.  I  shall  endeavour  to 
trace  an  outline  of  what  has  passed.  .  .  . 

I  had  long  been  meditating  and  maturing  a 
project  of  escape  without  breaking  my  parole. 
Events  hastened  the  execution  of  it  before  it  was 
properly  arranged.  I  was  obliged  to  change  my 
plans  two  or  three  times.  I  had  prepared  a 
complete  disguise  for  escaping  through  Switzer- 
land after  my  pupils  should  have  been  in  safety. 
The  villainy  of  the  Commandant  at  Geneva  soon 
showed  itself,  and  justified  my  darkest  suspicions. 
Notwithstanding  that  my  pupils  were  under  age 
and  had  obtained  regular  passports,  he  had  sent 
express  orders  to  stop  them  at  the  frontiers.  They 
passed  almost  by  a  miracle,  having  by  accident 


ESCAPE    FROM    IMPRISONMENT    123 

two  little  slips  of  card  with  them  with  the  signa- 
ture of  the  Commandant  upon  them.  I  had  sent 
them  first  to  Lausanne,  but  the  Commandant, 
enraged  at  their  escape,  muttered  threats  against 
me  if  I  did  not  order  them  back  to  Geneva.  Of 
course,  I  sent  them  further  on,  to  Neuchatel, 
where  for  a  time  they  would  be  completely  out 
of  his  reach.  I  had  reclaimed  my  rights  as  a 
Genevese  citizen  of  Geneva.  Though  incontestable, 
he  would  not  admit  them,  and  ordered  me  to 
remain  in  the  town. 

I  must  pass  over  the  particulars  of  my  escape 
from  the  town.  I  flew  like  lightning  to  Neuchatel 
to  rejoin  my  pupils,  determined  to  undergo  the 
last  extremity  sooner  than  part  with  them  again. 
I  arrived  in  safety.  Greater  difficulties  yet  awaited 
us.  The  town  was  full  of  English  who  had  flocked 
from  Switzerland  to  avoid  arrest  by  the  French 
troops,  of  which  the  Swiss  Government  had 
privately  given  them  notice.  Two  or  three  were 
attempting  an  escape  in  disguises  as  peasants; 
the  rest  were  waiting  without  knowing  what  to 
do.  Everybody  gave  different  opinions  as  to  what 
was  best  to  be  done." 

According  to  the  diary,  Dr.  Roget  called  upon 
a  banker  named  Durouvay  and  endeavoured  to 
get  a  further  passport  from  the  Secretary  of 
State,  but  was  unsuccessful.  "  The  carriage  being 
got  ready,"  he  continues,  "  determined  to  set  off 
the  next  morning,  spite  of  all  remonstrances  from 


124      TRAVEL   IN  TWO   CENTURIES 

Durouvay,  McCulloch,  Sir  F.  Drake    and    David- 
son."    The  letter  continues  : — 

"  By  the  help  of  a  servant  I  took  from  Geneva, 
who  understood  perfectly  the  by-roads,  we  chalked 
out  a  plan  of  escape  through  Switzerland  without 
passing  through  any  town.  We  dressed  ourselves 
as  shabbily  as  we  could,  carefully  avoided  speaking 
a  word  of  English  [set  out  at  five  in  the  morning],1 
stopped  at  obscure  villages  only  [dined  at  Arberg, 
slept  at  Bur  en.  The  innkeeper  was  a  true  Swiss 
and  a  great  friend  of  the  English].  The  second 
day  we  were  obliged  to  pass  before  the  gates  of 
Soleure.  This  we  contrived  to  do  very  early  in 
the  morning,  and  stole  by  unmolested. 

[Dined  at  Herzog-buchzee,  slept  at  Rotherist. 
Sat.,  31st. — Proceeded  to  Wildeck,  a  wretched 
inn,  where  we  dined,  sending  Jacob  and  Blondel 
the  coachman  to  make  inquiries,  and  to  prepare 
the  boat  to  ferry  us  over.  Slept  there,  in  the 
midst  of  a  noisy  peasants'  harvest  ball.]  The 
fourth  was  the  most  critical  part  of  our  route. 
Our  object  was  to  pass  Brugg  unobserved,  a  small 
town  which  had  a  French  garrison.  It  was  neces- 
sary to  pass  either  through  this  town  or  through 
Baden,  where  Lord  J.  Campbell,  quite  a  young 
man,  and  Dr.  Robertson,  his  preceptor,  had  been 
arrested.  The  former  effected  his  escape  in  woman's 
clothes,  the  latter  got  off  afterwards  in  another  way. 
We  preferred  Brugg  as  being  a  smaller  place. 

1  Additions  in  square  brackets  are  from  the  diary. 


ESCAPE    FROM    IMPRISONMENT   125 

We  rose  at  three,  [went  a  league  in  the  coach, 
went  on  foot  with  the  innkeeper's  son],  crossed 
the  river  in  a  small  boat  prepared  for  us  overnight, 
walked  with  a  guide  and  our  faithful  servant 
six  or  eight  miles.  There  was  no  other  way  but 
to  pass  through  a  corner  of  the  town.  We  did 
so  without  being  observed  by  a  sentinel,  whose 
back  was  turned  towards  us.  I  do  not  know 
whether  he  would  have  said  anything  to  us,  but 
the  carriage,  which  followed  us  half  an  hour 
afterwards,  was  stopped  by  him.  The  coachman 
had  the  address  to  prevail  upon  him  to  let  him 
pass  with  the  bribe  of  a  bottle  of  wine.  It  over- 
took us  at  a  little  distance,  [again  passed  the 
Aar  in  a  boat,  got  to  Zursach],  and  we  hastened 
to  cross  the  Rhine  [in  a  ferry]  before  the  Com- 
mandant of  Brugg  could  have  time  to  send  after  us. 

It  is  impossible  to  describe  the  rapture  we  felt 
in  treading  on  friendly  ground.  It  was  like  awaking 
from  a  horrid  dream,  or  recovering  from  the  night- 
mare. We  could  scarcely  yet  believe  our  good 
fortune.  It  was  too  great  to  be  felt  all  at  once. 
We  fancied  ourselves  yet  insecure.  We  hastened 
away  from  that  inhospitable  land  where  we  had 
met  with  such  increasing  persecution. 

[Bathed  in  the  Rhine,  breakfasted  and  took 
post-horses  to  Sedligen.  Slept  a  stage  beyond  it. 
2nd  Aug. — Passed  through  Rothweil,  slept  at  Flech- 
ingen;  curious  innkeeper,  pretended  not  to  speak 
French.] 

We   are   now   arrived   at   Stuttgart,    where   we 


126      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

shall  stay  for  a  few  days  to  refit  and  to  repose 
ourselves  from  all  our  fatigues.  I  have  been 
greatly  exhausted  by  all  that  I  have  had  to  go 
through.  The  heat  still  continues  so  excessive 
that  travelling  is  exceedingly  unpleasant  and 
scarcely  bearable  in  the  middle  of  the  day. 

The  feeling  of  our  newly  acquired  liberty,  pur- 
chased with  so  much  toil  and  hazard,  will,  I  am 
sure,  restore  my  wonted  strength.  I  repeat  to 
myself  frequently  in  the  course  of  the  day,  4 1  am 
free ;  the  ground  on  which  I  tread  is  friendly  ; 
I  am  on  my  way  towards  England,  towards  all 
that  is  dear  to  me ;  I  am  once  more  a  man.'  We 
have  recommendations  here  to  Count  Jennison, 
who  has  shown  us  the  greatest  attention.  We 
shall  make  the  best  of  our  way  to  Berlin,  in  our 
way  to  Old  England.  I  suppose  you  would  not 
have  any  objection  to  our  staying  there  for  a 
short  time  to  see  the  great  Review  of  the  Prussian 
Army  in  September.  Indeed,  the  month  of  Sept- 
ember is  one  of  the  worst  for  crossing  the  sea, 
and  our  passage  requires  more  consideration  than 
that  of  Calais  to  Dover.  I  know  not  at  present 
where  it  would  be  best  to  embark.  Indeed,  events 
succeed  with  such  rapidity  that  it  is  impossible 
to  lay  down  any  plan  from  which  one  can  be 
certain  of  not  being  obliged  to  deviate — perhaps 
Copenhagen." 

Here   the   letter   ends.     It   is   recorded    in   the 
diary  that  there  were  two  very  severe  thunder- 


ESCAPE    FROM    IMPRISONMENT    127 

i 

storms  on  the  day  of  their  arrival  at  Stuttgart, 
that  they  saw  the  Palace  and  the  theatre,  and 
had  a  sight  of  the  Elector  of  Wiirttemberg.  They 
were  also  disturbed  by  an  alarm  of  fire  at  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning.  On  the  following  day 
they  visited  the  museum  of  medals  and  natural 
history.  The  party  remained  at  Stuttgart  until 
August  9th,  on  which  day,  to  quote  the  words  of  the 
diary,  they  "  dined  at  one,  set  out  for  Ludwigburg, 
walked  to  see  the  Palace,1  and  went  on  to  Heil- 
bron  and  arrived  at  twelve  at  night." 

It  is  unnecessary  to  follow  the  exact  words  of 
the  diary  in  describing  the  remainder  of  the  journey 
through  Germany. 

Heilbron  was  duly  reached  the  next  day,  and 
Dr.  Roget's  observant  eyes  noted  the  "  town 
house  outside,  covered  with  painted  cloth  in  imita- 
tion of  stone."  He  further  remarks  upon  the 
curious  oil-mills,  tobacco-factory  and  natural  selzer- 
water  works,  and  records  that  considerable  emigra- 
tion to  Poland  was  going  on  at  the  solicitation 
of  the  King  of  Prussia.  August  llth  brought  our 
travellers  to  Heidelberg,  where  the  diarist  praises 
the  fine  situation  of  the  ruined  castle  and  mentions 
the  cathedral  as  three  hundred  years  old.  The 
environs  of  Heidelberg,  with  the  River  Neckar,  are 
justly  described  as  very  pretty.  They  proceeded  to 
Mannheim  along  a  fine  road  through  level  country, 
where  they  noticed  tobacco  growing. 

1  Built  by  Duke  Eberhard  Ludwig  in  1704-33  in  the  rococo 
style. 


128      TRAVEL  IN  TWO   CENTURIES 

Mannheim  is  described  as  a  superb  town,  clean 
and  neat,  with  an  avenue  of  trees  in  the  middle 
of  the  street  and  numerous  fountains.  Dr.  Roget's 
interest  in  scientific  matters  was  arrested  by  the 
observatory,  which  he  refers  to  as  containing  a 
"  Mural  Quadrant  by  Bird  and  a  Meridional  Tele- 
scope by  Ramsden,  built  thirty  years  before " 
(evidently  the  Germans  at  that  time  had  to  rely  on 
British  manufacturers  for  the  best  classes  of  optical 
apparatus).  It  is  also  mentioned  that  there  had 
been  a  fine  library  and  picture  gallery,  but  that 
the  Prince  Palatine  had  taken  them  away.  The 
cathedral  is  described  as  highly  ornamented,  with 
beautiful  marble  altar  with  agate  and  green  jasper, 
and  as  showing  a  hole  made  by  a  cannon-ball. 
The  castle  had  been  set  on  fire  by  the  Austrian 
bombardment  by  Clairfait,  who  took  it  twice.  At 
the  time  of  their  visit,  the  King  of  Sweden  was 
expected  and  the  theatre  was  prepared  for  him. 
The  party  dined  at  the  "  Admiral  Klingel,"  and 
remarked  at  the  "great  cheapness  of  everything" ; 
on  the  other  hand,  the  inn  where  they  slept  is 
described  as  very  exorbitant.  The  fountains, 
cascades,  etc.,  of  the  gardens  of  the  Schwetzingen 
Castle  were  visited,  and  they  met  their  friend 
Davidson,  one  of  the  English  who  had  succeeded 
in  escaping  from  Geneva. 

On  August  12th  they  set  off  at  six  in  the 
morning  and  travelled  over  bad  sandy  roads  to 
Darmstadt  and  on  to  Frankfort,  arriving  at  eight 
in  the  evening  at  the  Hotel  d'Angleterre. 


ESCAPE    FROM    IMPRISONMENT    129 

From  Frankfort,  Dr.  Roget  wrote  to  his  uncle 
as  follows  : — 

"  I  suppose  you  have  already  received  the 
account  I  sent  you  from  Stuttgart  of  our  escape 
through  Switzerland  and  our  safe  arrival  in  Ger- 
many. We  pursued  our  way  to  Berlin  as  far  as 
this  place,  but  have  been  deterred  from  advancing 
further  for  the  present  by  a  number  of  accounts 
I  have  received  of  the  difficulty  of  getting  to 
England,  even  by  the  way  of  Berlin.  I  have 
accordingly  been  advised  to  stop  at  Frankfort  till 
the  truth  of  these  reports  can  be  ascertained 
and  further  information  obtained,  and  in  no  place 
are  we  so  likely  to  come  at  the  truth  as  here.  I 
have  written  to  obtain  information  as  to  the 
safest  route  we  ought  to  take.  Excepting  one 
very  old  letter  from  my  mother,  it  is  at  least  three 
months  since  I  have  had  any  news  from  my  friends. 
Frankfort  is  a  very  fine  town,  and  our  residence 
here  is  made  agreeable  by  acquaintance  with  an 
English  family  who  are  in  the  same  situation  as 
ourselves." 

The  party  was  unfortunately  delayed  in  Frank- 
fort for  nearly  two  months  by  the  illness  of  one  of 
the  Philipses,  but  happily  he  recovered  sufficiently 
for  a  fresh  start  to  be  made  on  October  6th,  when  it 
was  deemed  advisable  for  the  fugitives  to  remove 
further  eastward,  as  the  French  were  advancing  in 
that  direction. 

9 


130      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

In  a  further  letter  from  Frankfort,  Dr.  Roget 
refers  to  his  pupil's  illness,  and  remarks  : — 

'*  As  soon  as  he  is  sufficiently  restored  to  be 
able  to  bear  the  motion  of  a  carriage  I  think  it 
will  be  advisable  to  set  off  ...  and  I  shall  en- 
deavour to  reach  with  all  possible  expedition  the 
port  at  which  we  are  to  embark,  which  I  suppose 
will  be  that  of  Husum,  in  Denmark.  I  believe 
it  will  be  as  well  to  take  Berlin  in  our  way,  as  it 
is  very  little  out  of  the  road  which  the  occupation 
of  Hanover  by  the  French  troops  will  oblige  us 
to  take.  On  the  most  favourable  supposition  it 
will  be  a  fortnight  yet  before  we  shall  be  able  to 
leave  Frankfort.  We  may  then  perhaps  reach 
the  seaport  before  November.  ...  I  am  afraid 
it  would  go  hard  with  me  if  the  packet  in  which 
we  went  over  were  taken,  but  I  hope  there  is 
little  danger  of  that." 

The  start  from  Frankfort  was  finally  made  at 
three  o'clock  on  October  6th,  and  Hanau  was  reached 
at  six.  On  setting  out  the  next  day  at  eight, 
the  footboard  of  their  carriage  broke  and  they 
were  delayed  till  nine ;  dining  at  Gelnhausen, 
they  slept  at  Schlichtern.  The  entry  for  October 
8th  simply  reads  :  "  Breakfasted  at  Fulda,  slept 
at  Vach."  The  following  day  they  arrived  at 
Eisenach,  but  a  great  fall  of  snow  prevented  their 
going  on.  Continuing  the  next  day,  however, 
they  passed  through  Gotha  and  Erfurt,  and  slept 


ESCAPE    FROM    IMPRISONMENT    131 

at  Weimar,  where  pouring  rain  was  reported. 
They  went  on  over  "  dreadful  roads  "  to  Nauem- 
bourg,  and  proceeding  through  Weissenfels,  arrived 
at  Leipzig  on  the  afternoon  of  October  12th. 
Resting  here  a  day  or  two,  they  continued  their 
journey  on  October  15th  via  Tuben  to  Witten- 
berg and  Beelitz,  arriving  at  Potsdam  on  the 
morning  of  October  17th.  That  afternoon  they 
"  saw  the  parade  "  and  "  went  to  Sans  Souci," 
and  the  following  morning  "  went  to  the  palace 
of  marble,1  saw  the  King 2  and  Queen,"  and 
"  arrived  at  Berlin  at  three." 

It  was  in  Berlin  that  Dr.  Roget  received  a  reply 
from  Romilly  to  his  own  letter  from  Stuttgart. 
In  this  Romilly  writes  : — 

"  If  you  return  soon,  you  will  take  care,  I  make 
no  doubt,  to  come  in  a  neutral  vessel,  or  in  some 
way  that  you  will  not  run  any  risk.  .  .  .  We  are 
under  no  apprehension  now  of  the  consequences 
of  the  invasion  with  which  we  are  threatened. 
The  number  of  volunteers  who  have  enrolled 
themselves  in  every  part  of  the  country  is  very 
great ;  so  great  that  the  Ministers  have  thought 
it  not  advisable  to  accept  all  who  have  offered, 

1  The  palace  of  Sans  Souci  was  built  for  Frederick  the  Great, 
and  was  completed  in  1747.  It  was  his  almost  constant  residence 
until  his  death  there  in  1786.  The  Marble  Palace  was  the  scene 
of  the  death,  in  1797,  of  his  successor,  Frederick  William  II,  for 
whom  it  had  been  built.  At  the  time  that  we  are  considering 
it  was  unfinished,  as  it  was  only  completed  in  1844. 

*  Frederick  William  III,  King  of  Prussia  (1707-1840). 


132      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

and  have  resolved  to  limit  their  numbers  to  six 
times  the  Militia,  and  at  that  rate  the  volunteers 
will  amount  to  240,000  men  besides  the  Militia, 
the  supplementary  Militia,  the  Army  of  Reserve 
and  the  Regulars.  The  limiting  the  number  of 
the  volunteers  has  given  great  dissatisfaction.  It 
is  supposed  to  have  proceeded  from  an  appre- 
hension in  the  Ministry  that  by  a  very  general 
arming,  arms  may  be  put  into  the  hands  of  many 
improper  persons.  Such  apprehensions  seem  to 
be  very  idle  in  this  country,  whatever  may  be  the 
case  in  Ireland.  The  accounts  that  have  been 
published  of  the  conduct  of  the  French  in  Hanover, 
whether  true  or  false,  have  done  wonders,  and  it 
seems  as  if  every  man  considered  himself  as  arming, 
not  merely  in  the  defence  of  his  country,  but  for 
the  protection  of  the  lives  of  his  wife  and  his 
children." 

We  will  not  dwell  on  the. doings  of  the  party 
in  Berlin,  where  they  appear  to  have  called  on 
several  persons  whom  they  knew  or  to  whom 
they  had  introductions,  and  visited,  among  other 
places,  the  "  Castle  and  Palace,  Opera  house  and 
Concert  room  and  the  Porcelain  manufactory," 
and  where,  apparently,  Dr.  Roget  was  at  last  able 
to  get  a  passport  which  was  correct  for  the  route 
he  was  adopting. 

Setting  out  from  Berlin  on  October  25th,  they 
dined  at  Fehrbellin  at  four  o'clock,  and  arrived 
at  Kyritz  at  two  in  the  morning,  finding  nothing 


ESCAPE   FROM    IMPRISONMENT   133 

to  eat.  The  next  night's  rest  was  at  Perleberg, 
whence  they  departed  at  six  in  the  morning  and 
had  another  long  day  on  the  road,  as  they  did 
not  arrive  at  Schwerin  till  two  in  the  morning 
again.  At  eleven  o'clock  the  next  night  they 
arrived  at  Lubeck  and  had  difficulty  in  finding 
beds.  Staying  two  nights,  it  was  here  that  they 
finally  sold  the  carriage,  which  they  had  originally 
bought  in  Paris  and  had  travelled  so  many  miles 
in,  and  agreed  with  a  voiturier  to  take  them 
on.  They  also  "  exchanged  money  for  the  Danish 
species." 

The  continuation  of  the  journey  into  and  across 
what  was  then  Danish  territory  is  described  as 
follows  in  the  diary :  "  Set  out  at  10J,  dined 
at  Eutin  at  about  3J-5J,  travelled  on  to  Kiel, 
where  we  arrived  at  three  in  the  morning,  supped 
or  breakfasted,  proceeded  to  Eckersdorf,  at  about 
nine  breakfasted.  Got  to  Husum  l  at  seven  at 
night." 

Referring  to  this  part  of  the  journey,  Mr.  John  L. 
Roget  (Dr.  Roget's  son),  in  some  notes  founded  on 
his  father's  verbal  reminiscences,  writes:  "They 
at  last  arrived  in  sight  of  the  sea,  with  a  feeling 
akin  to  that  of  Xenophon  and  his  soldiers,  at  the 
port  of  Husum  in  Denmark  on  the  31st  October." 

The  next  morning,  November  1st,  they  "  in- 
quired about  the  packet — the  captain  not  on 
shore — none  but  a  dirty  fishing-boat  without  beds 
and  with  sixty  soldiers  "  was  available. 

1  Spelt  in  some  modern  maps  Biisum. 


134      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

Continuing  from  Mr.  Roget's  notes :  "  Here 
they  were  detained  for  no  less  than  three  weeks 
by  contrary  winds  which  prevented  the  mail- 
boat  from  coming  to  take  them  home,  and  when 
it  did,  they  had  to  wait  for  the  changing  of  the 
wind  back  again  before  they  could  set  sail.  At 
length  (on  November  16th)  they  embarked  for 
England  in  the  packet  Diana  (Captain  Stewart)." 
The  method  of  embarkation  is  thus  described  in 
the  diary :  "  Embarked  on  board  a  pilot  skiff  at 
4|;  got  to  the  packet  at  6."  "But  the  dangers 
of  the  sea,"  continues  Mr.  Roget,  "  had  yet  to 
come."  For  six  days  they  were  tossed  on  the 
North  Sea.  When  at  length  the  little  vessel  was 
making  good  way  for  the  port  of  Harwich,  a  sus- 
picious-looking sail  made  its  appearance  in  the 
offing.  Growing  larger,  it  took  the  shape  of  a 
frigate,  which  showed  no  colours  but  brought 
the  Diana  to  by  firing  a  gun.  The  passengers  on 
board  the  packet  watched  with  no  small  anxiety 
the  lowering  of  a  boat  for  the  purpose  of  boarding 
her,  and  it  may  be  believed  that  to  none  of  our 
three  fugitives  was  a  sound  more  welcome  than 
the  voice  of  the  lieutenant  in  command  of  the 
boarding-party  when  he  approached  near  enough 
for  them  to  hear  him  shouting  to  his  crew  with 
a  round  and  unmistakably  British  oath.  The 
frigate  was  H.M.S.  Unicorn,  Captain  Hardiman. 
Friendly  greetings  followed,  and  an  invitation  to 
dinner,  which  was  virtuously  declined  by  Captain 
Stewart  on  the  ground  that  he  had  five  mails  on 


ESCAPE  FROM   IMPRISONMENT    135 

board.  These,  together  with  our  three  travellers, 
were  safely  delivered  at  Harwich  on  the  following 
day,  the  22nd  of  November.  They  were  lodged 
at  an  inn  whose  landlord  bore  the  singularly 
appropriate  name  of  Mr.  John  Bull.  Thence  Dr. 
Roget  made  all  speed  to  deliver  up  his  charges 
safe  and  sound  to  their  parents  in  Manchester. 

As  is  well  known,  the  other  Englishmen  from 
Geneva,  including  Dr.  Roget's  friend  Lovell 
Edgeworth,  who  were  actually  sent  to  Verdun, 
remained  interned  there  for  eleven  years. 


1818: 
A    TOUR    IN    THE    UNITED    STATES 

DURING  a  considerable  portion  of  the  in- 
tervening years,  Dr.  Roget  lived  in  Man- 
chester, where  he  was  for  some  time  one  of 
the  Physicians  to  the  Infirmary,  an  appointment 
which  he  retained  till  October  1808,  when  he  finally 
settled  in  London  and  became  a  scientific  writer 
and  lecturer  of  eminence  and  versatility.  He  was 
elected  a  Fellow  of  the  Royal  Society  in  1815, 
and  a  record  of  his  life  and  scientific  activities 
is  contained  in  an  obituary  note  which  appeared 
in  the  Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Society  in  1870 
(No.  119).  On  November  18,  1824,  he  married 
Mary  Taylor  Hobson,  the  daughter  of  Mr.  Jonathan 
Hobson,  a  merchant  of  Liverpool,  and  we  are  able 
to  present  a  little  variety  to  the  series  of  European 
journey  ings  under  varying  conditions  which  we 
are  following,  by  breaking  off  here  to  give  a  few 
notes  of  a  tour  in  part  of  the  United  States  which 
was  undertaken  by  Mrs.  Roget's  brother,  Mr. 
Samuel  Hobson,  in  1818.  Extracts  from  Mr.  Hob- 
son's  own  journal  are  given  below.  The  America 


136 


A    TOUR    IN    THE    UNITED    STATES    137 

depicted  therein  is  somewhat  different  from  that 
of  to-day. 

"  May  1.8th. — Left  Philadelphia  in  company  with 
Mr.  T.  Hulme  on  a  journey  through  the  western 
portion  of  the  United  States,  and  arrived  the 
same  night  at  Elizabethtown,  eighteen  miles  west 
of  Lancaster.  The  greatest  part  of  the  road  lay 
through  a  beautiful  and  fertile  valley  .  .  .  bringing 
to  my  mind  the  best  farmed  districts  of  England. 
.  .  .  Most  of  the  farmers  Dutch,  plodding,  indus- 
trious men,  the  independent  owners  of  their  farms. 
Lancaster  is  the  largest  inland  town  east  of  the 
Alleghany  Mountains.  As  we  passed  it  in  the  night, 
we  could  not  form  an  opinion  of  the  style  of  its 
buildings.  From  Philadelphia  to  Lancaster  the 
road  a  turnpike  and  in  good  order. 

May  29th. — Passed  through  Harrisburg  and 
Carlisle  to  Chambersburg.  From  Harrisburg  the 
roads  very  bad.  Harrisburg,  the  seat  of  the  State 
Government  of  Pennsylvania,  is  a  neat  little  town 
on  the  east  bank  of  the  Susquehanna.  Close  to  the 
town  is  a  bridge  of  great  length  across  the  river, 
divided  by  an  island  into  nearly  equal  parts. 
It  is  constructed  of  wood,  except  the  piers,  which 
are  of  stone,  and  to  prevent  injury  from  rain  is 
covered  with  a  roof.  Our  ride  along  the  banks 
of  the  Susquehanna  and  across  the  bridge  afforded 
us  a  beautiful  specimen  of  wild,  grand  scenery. 
The  wide  river  rolling  slowly  and  majestically,  and 
its  high  banks  and  islands  covered  with  wood  to 


138      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

the  water's  edge  and  varying  their  form  at  every 
reach,  were  set  off  to  peculiar  advantage  by  the 
clear,  cloudless  sky  of  a  fine  summer's  morning. 
From  a  few  miles  west  of  Philadelphia  to  Chambers- 
burg  the  soil  lies  upon  a  bed  of  limestone,  of  which 
the  farm-houses  and  outbuildings  are  many  of 
them  built.  It  is  also  in  some  places  burnt  and 
used  as  a  manure. 

May  30th. — Leaving  Chambersburg,  we  com- 
menced our  journey  over  the  successive  ridges 
known  as  the  Alleghany  Mountains.  Our  first 
ascent  was  of  Cove  Mountain,  from  the  top  of 
which  we  had  an  extensive  prospect  of  the  sur- 
rounding country,  an  immense  forest  interspersed 
with  patches  of  clear  land.  The  highest  hills 
being  clothed  with  wood  to  their  very  summits 
gave  the  mountain  a  very  different  character 
from  what  I  had  been  accustomed  to.  We  ended 
our  day's  journey  at  McConnell's  Town,  a  small 
place  at  the  foot  of  Cove  Mountain,  hardly  de- 
serving to  be  dignified  by  the  name  of  town. 

June  2nd. — Arrived  at  Guensburg  by  way  of 
Bedford  and  Stoyistown,  having  performed  our 
journey  over  the  mountains  without  accident,  over 
roads  surely  worse  than  any  that  were  ever  travelled 
over  by  a  carriage  intended  for  passengers.  The 
roads,  instead  of  winding  round  the  mountains, 
are  carried  almost  straight  across  them,  and  appear 
to  have  had  very  little  more  labour  bestowed 
upon  them  at  any  time  than  that  of  clearing  away 
the  timber  which  grew  upon  them.  No  wonder, 


A    TOUR    IN    THE    UNITED    STATES    139 

therefore,  at  their  wretched  condition,  being  daily 
crossed  by  numbers  of  wagons  heavily  laden, 
the  wheels  of  which  are  nearly  as  narrow  as  those 
of  an  English  postchaise.  To  those  who  have  been 
accustomed  to  the  level  roads  of  England  it  would 
appear  almost  impossible  that  the  stage  could 
cross  those  without  frequent  upsets.  For  days 
together  we  were  dragged  from  one  hole  to  another, 
sometimes  one  side  of  the  carriage  elevated  between 
two  and  three  feet,  and  at  others  with  all  four 
wheels  up  to  the  naves  in  a  mud- hole,  continually 
changing  our  position  to  preserve  our  balance. 
Our  travelling  might  be  compared  to  going  a-hunt- 
ing,  except  that  instead  of  being  on  horseback 
we  were  in  an  American  stage.  We  struck  off 
into  the  woods,  where  no  carriage  had  ever  been 
before,  and  performed  the  most  wonderful  leaps 
over  logs  and  rocks.  Extraordinary  exertions  were 
necessary  to  perform  the  journey.  For  hours 
together  the  powers  of  the  horses  were  exerted 
to  the  utmost  at  a  dead  pull,  and  the  skill  of  the 
driver  in  avoiding  the  deepest  holes  was  truly 
astonishing. 

June  3rd. — Reached  Pittsburg,  distant  from  Phila- 
delphia 298  miles,  which  we  have  been  six  and  a  half 
days  in  travelling,  by  the  stage.  The  country  I 
found  more  cultivated  than  I  expected.  From 
the  views  from  the  tops  of  the  mountains,  however, 
much  the  greatest  part  of  the  land  appeared  to  be 
uncleared.  Accommodation  on  the  road  we  found 
much  to  our  satisfaction,  especially  our  meals.  .  .  . 


140      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

Dinner  on  the  mountains  we  had  none,  but  with 
such  excellent  breakfasts  and  suppers  we  could 
well  dispense  with  it.  The  very  bad  state  of  the 
road  across  the  Alleghany  Mountains  is  a  severe 
tax  on  the  western  community.  A  new  turnpike 
road  is  now,  however,  in  progress,  and  will  prob- 
ably be  completed  in  the  course  of  two  years.  On 
approaching  Pittsburg,  a  person  accustomed  to 
the  Atlantic  States  is  immediately  struck  with 
its  black  and  gloomy  appearance,  owing  to  the 
quantity  of  smoke  issuing  from  its  numerous 
manufacturing  establishments  and  the  universal 
consumption  of  coal  for  fuel.  Pittsburg  is  situated 
between  the  Alleghany  and  Monongehala  rivers  at 
the  point  where  by  their  junction  they  form  the 
Ohio.  Being  surrounded  by  hills,  covered  with 
wood,  some  of  them  of  considerable  height — par- 
ticularly the  Coal  Hill,  which  rises  abruptly  from 
the  edge  of  the  Monongehala  River  opposite  the 
town — its  situation  is  highly  picturesque.  The 
rapid  increase  of  the  place  is  perhaps  without  a 
parallel.  Sixty  years  ago  it  was  little  more  than 
a  British  Fort,  surrounded  by  settlements  of 
Indians.  It  now  is  a  place  of  much  business, 
and  is  celebrated  for  the  extent  and  variety  of 
its  manufactures.  It  is  admirably  adapted  by 
nature  as  a  site  for  manufactures.  The  rapid 
current  of  the  Ohio  forms  an  excellent  water- 
carriage  to  all  the  Western  States,  and  together 
with  the  Alleghany  Mountains  serves  as  a  barrier 
to  check  the  competition  of  foreign  manufactures. 


A    TOUR    IN    THE    UNITED    STATES    141 

There  is  abundance  of  coal  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  city,  and  the  labour  required  to  procure  it 
is  comparatively  trifling.  The  stratum  of  coal  is 
found  intersecting  the  hills  for  several  miles  round 
in  a  horizontal  plane,  and  it  is  procured  by  driving 
a  horizontal  shaft  through  the  mountain  and 
wheeling  the  coal  out  in  wheelbarrows.  The  Coal 
Hill  takes  its  name  from  the  quantity  of  coal 
found  within  it.  The  principal  manufactures  are 
those  of  iron  and  glass,  and  steam  engines  are 
exported  from  this  place  to  all  parts  of  the  western 
country.  During  the  war  with  England,  the  manu- 
factures of  Pittsburg  of  course  flourished  exceed- 
ingly. Since  the  war  they  have  considerably 
declined. 

June  6th. — We  determined  to  prosecute  our 
journey  down  the  Ohio  as  being  the  easiest  and 
most  expeditious  mode  of  travelling.  Being  in- 
vited by  two  gentlemen  to  become  passengers 
with  others  on  board  a  boat  they  had  engaged 
to  take  them  down  to  Cincinnati,  our  party  ac- 
cepted the  invitation.  Having  laid  in  our  stores, 
we  all  six  of  us  set  sail  in  as  clumsy  a  contrivance 
for  navigation  as  can  well  be  conceived.  We  all 
agreed  it  was  in  shape  more  like  an  orange-box 
than  anything  else  we  could  compare  it  to — its 
bottom  square  and  quite  flat,  and  the  boards 
which  composed  its  sides  and  roof  in  many  places 
several  inches  apart.  Such  a  thing  as  a  plane 
had  never  been  used  at  all  in  its  construction. 
In  this  machine  we  floated  with  the  current,  not 


142      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

caring  which  side  foremost,  using  a  couple  of 
planks  as  oars  to  help  her  from  striking  against 
obstacles.  This  night  we  tied  our  box  to  a  tree, 
and  slept  in  our  clothes  on  straw  mattresses,  with 
our  saddlebags  for  pillows,  anxiously  hoping  that 
no  thunderstorm  might  take  advantage  of  our 
exposed  situation  to  drench  us  and  our  beds." 

In  this  manner  the  voyage  was  continued  down 
the  river,  past  the  boundary  of  the  State  of  Penn- 
sylvania into  Ohio,  past  Steubenville,  Wheeling, 
where  a  brief  landing  was  made,  Marrietta,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Muskingham  River,  Belpre,  Gallipolis, 
described  as  a  small  town  settled  by  the  French, 
Limestone  (or  Maysville).  The  travellers  finally 
arrived  at  Cincinnati  about  midnight,  June  13th, 
after  having  been  seven  and  a  half  days  floating 
down  the  river.  The  journal  continues  : — 

"  Our  mode  of  travel  did  not  admit  of  our  seeing 
much  of  the  country  or  gaining  much  information, 
as  we  seldom  stopped  our  boat,  and  then  did  not 
stay  much  longer  than  was  necessary  to  recruit 
our  provisions.  We  had  a  little  skiff  with  us, 
in  which  one  or  two  of  us  frequently  rowed  to 
the  farm-houses  on  the  banks  of  the  river  for 
milk;  but  we  generally  made  our  visits  as  short 
as  possible,  as  it  took  us  some  time  to  catch  our 
floating  box,  which  always  continued  travelling 
with  indefatigable  perseverance.  The  people  dwell- 
ing on  the  banks  of  the  river  were  generally 


A    TOUR    IN    THE    UNITED    STATES    143 

reserved  and  uncourteous  when  we  first  accosted 
them,  but  were  always  civil.  I  never  saw  anything 
like  rudeness  amongst  them.  They  required  to 
be  treated  with  respect  and  as  equals,  and  when 
they  found  we  did  this,  they  always  answered  our 
questions  very  readily.  Their  mode  of  life  is  a 
complete  picture  of  independence.  The  land  they 
farm  is  their  own,  and  they  either  grow  or  make 
almost  everything  they  want.  Their  sugar  they 
manufacture  from  the  sap  of  the  sugar  maple. 
Wherever  we  went  we  were  struck  with  the  great 
number  of  children  that  roamed  around  every 
home.  We  saw  several  instances  of  very  early 
sharpness  and  acuteness  amongst  them,  and  a 
great  spirit  of  independence,  particularly  in  one 
little  fellow,  apparently  about  ten  or  twelve  years 
old,  whom,  with  no  one  with  him  but  a  child  much 
younger  than  himself,  we  met  early  one  morning 
busy  rowing  a  canoe,  in  which  were  several  very 
fine  fish,  one  or  two  of  them  five  to  six  pounds 
apiece,  which  they  had  caught  since  daylight. 
With  much  difficulty  we  succeeded  in  bargaining 
with  him  for  two  of  them  (perch  of  about  two  pounds 
weight).  We  were,  however,  obliged  to  give  him 
his  own  price  for  them  of  12J  cents  each.  He 
behaved  as  if  he  conferred  quite  as  great  a  favour 
upon  us  as  we  did  upon  him. 

June  I4>th. — We  quitted  our  orange-box  like  pigs 
out  of  a  sty  and  gladly  took  up  our  quarters  at 
the  Cincinnati  Hotel.  We  breakfasted  and  dined 
in  comfort  with  about  fifty  travellers,  who  just 


144       TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

before  the  bell  rang  crowded  round  the  doors  of 
the  dining-room  like  a  mob  at  the  door  of  a  theatre 
and  at  the  first  clap  of  the  bell  rushed  in,  scrambled 
to  the  first  seat,  helped  themselves  to  the  first 
dish  they  laid  hold  of,  pushed  it  back  again,  and 
having  dispatched  their  meal  as  if  they  had  been 
eating  for  a  wager,  left  the  room  one  after  another, 
and  in  fifteen  minutes  no  one  was  left  at  the 
table  but  ourselves. 

Much  as  I  had  heard  of  this  place,  it  surpasses 
my  expectations.  It  is  only  about  twenty-five 
years  since  its  first  establishment,  and  it  is  now 
not  only  a  town,  but  a  handsome  one.  Its  streets 
are  laid  out  at  right  angles,  well  paved  and,  as 
they  yet  extend,  regularly  built  up.  The  rapidity 
of  advancement  has  been  astonishing.  In  the 
year  1800  it  contained  only  2,400  inhabitants,  and 
they  were  afraid  of  going  but  a  short  distance  out 
of  the  town  for  fear  of  the  Indians.  It  has  now 
nearly  10,000  inhabitants." 

The  travellers  remained  at  Cincinnati,  where  they 
called  on  several  business  men  to  whom  they  had 
introductions,  for  two  days. 

"  June  \§ih. — Left  Cincinnati  about  ten  o'clock 
for  Louisville,  in  a  covered  skiff  about  twenty  feet 
long,  in  company  with  Mr.  H.,  Mr.  R.  and  six  others, 
two  of  whom  were  engaged  to  work  their  passage 
at  the  oar.  Just  before  night  we  reached  a  farm- 
house on  the  Indiana  side,  about  fifty  miles  from 


A    TOUR    IN    THE    UNITED    STATES    145 

Cincinnati,  where  we  were  provided  with  supper 
and  bed.  We  found  our  landlord,  the  farmer, 
a  very  civil,  intelligent  man. 

June  \7th. — Breakfasted  at  Vevey,  a  small  town 
of  Indiana,  beautifully  situated  on  a  high  bank 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  river,  out  of 
reach  of  inundations.  It  was  laid  out  by  a  Swiss 
about  three  years  ago  and  named  after  a  town  in 
Switzerland.  While  breakfast  was  preparing,  I 
went  to  see  a  grist-mill,  turned  by  three  horses 
walking  upon  a  large  horizontal  wheel.  After 
breakfast  we  walked  to  the  vineyards,  com- 
mencing about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  below  the 
town,  cultivated  by  a  few  families,  the  first  of 
whom  arrived  here  about  fifteen  years  ago.  They 
cultivate  entirely  the  Cape  vine.  After  leaving 
Vevey,  we  stopped  at  Madisonville,  a  flourish- 
ing little  place.  We  were  informed  that  two 
years  ago  there  were  but  two  or  three  houses. 
In  this  place,  like  all  the  others  we  have  seen  since 
we  left  Pittsburg,  the  principal  business  carried 
on  appears  to  be  tavern  keeping  and  store  keeping. 

June  18th. — Arrived  at  Louisville,  where  we 
stayed  only  a  few  hours,  and  then  crossed  the  falls 
in  our  skiff.  Mr.  Hulme  and  I  landed  at  Shipping 
Port,  just  at  the  foot  of  the  falls  on  the  Kentucky 
side,  but  the  rest  proceeded  in  the  skiff  to  New 
Albany,  a  new  town  about  two  miles  lower  down, 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river. 

Louisville  is  well  known  as  a  place  of  great 
importance.  Being  situated  at  the  falls,  which 

10 


146      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

are  impassable  for  large  boats  except  when  the 
water  is  very  high,  almost  all  the  goods  passing 
up  and  down  the  river  must  be  landed  at  this 
place.  A  subscription  has  been  opened  to  have 
a  canal  made  on  the  Indiana  side,  so  as  to  avoid 
the  falls,  which  project  the  people  of  Louisville 
are  said  to  be  averse  from,  as  they  are  afraid  it 
will  injure  the  trade  of  the  city.  We  were  told 
by  some,  however,  that  it  would  make  but  little 
difference,  for  that  above  the  falls  the  river  could 
not  be  navigated  by  boats  drawing  more  than 
two  feet  of  water,  whereas  below  the  river  would 
admit  boats  drawing  four  feet ;  therefore  the  cargoes 
passing  up  and  down  the  river  would  still  have  to 
be  landed  as  heretofore.  Within  a  few  years  the 
navigation  of  the  Ohio  has  been  very  much  improved 
by  the  use  of  steamers.  There  are  eleven  now 
plying  between  New  Orleans  and  Louisville,  from 
80  to  300  tons.  Next  year,  however,  it  is  expected 
there  will  be  at  least  fifty,  amongst  which  one  will 
be  500  and  another  700  tons.  Many  steamboats 
are  building  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Louisville, 
which  abounds  in  fine  timber.  The  mode  at 
present  in  use  of  ascending  the  Ohio  is  in  what  are 
called  keel  boats,  to  distinguish  them  from  the  flat 
boats  or  arks,  which  are  built  without  any  keel 
at  all  and  are  merely  intended  for  floating  down 
the  river.  These  boats  are  forced  against  the 
stream  all  the  way  from  New  Orleans  to  Pittsburg 
by  means  of  long  poles,  and  sometimes  by  towing 
by  a  rope  fastened  to  a  tree  on  the  bank  of  the 


A    TOUR    IN    THE    UNITED    STATES    147 

river,  all  of  which  is  performed  by  manual  labour. 
The  passage  takes  from  four  to  six  months. 

At  Shipping  Port  is  a  very  large  grist-mill  on  the 
falls,  owned  by  a  French  gentleman  of  the  name 
of  Tarrascon,  who  very  politely  showed  us  through 
it.  The  mill  is  102  feet  high,  and  a  wagonload 
of  50  bushels  is  received,  weighed  and  lifted  to  the 
top  of  the  mill  in  fifteen  minutes,  all  by  the  power 
of  machinery.  The  grain  is  lifted  by  means  of  a 
number  of  small  buckets  fastened  to  a  leather 
strap,  which  turns  round  upon  wheels. 

June  20th. — Took  leave  of  our  friends  and  went 
down  to  New  Albany.  This  place  has  not  been 
established  more  than  two  or  three  years,  but  it  is 
already  of  considerable  importance  as  a  shipping 
port  for  the  State  of  Indiana.  ...  At  New  Albany 
we  disposed  of  our  skiff  and  joined  two  young  men 
from  the  State  of  New  York,  who  were  proceeding 
in  a  flat  boat  to  the  State  of  Tennessee.  Our  pas- 
sage from  Cincinnati  to  Louisville  has  cost  us  4.75 
dollars,  including  provisions.  We  recommenced 
our  voyage  down  the  river  at  about  9  a.m." 

It  is  not  necessary  to  give  details  of  all  the 
stops  at  farms  for  food,  etc. 

"June  23rd. — Breakfasted  at  Owensburg,  Ken- 
tucky ;  settled  one  year.  We  this  day  met  a 
large  steamboat,  rolling  away  up  the  river,  being 
the  first  we  had  seen  under  way  on  the  Ohio 
River.  After  rowing  hard  all  day,  in  which  we  all 


148      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

took  turns,  we  arrived  about  dusk  at  the  mouth 
of  Pigeon  Creek.  This  place  is  very  advan- 
tageously situated  at  the  extremity  of  a  great 
bend  of  the  river,  which  takes  a  reach  far  into 
the  State  of  Indiana.  It  is  therefore  likely  to  be 
the  shipping  port  for  a  large  tract  of  country.  For 
our  passage  from  Louisville  to  this  place,  about 
200  miles  by  water,  we  paid  only  two  dollars. 

June  24Z/L — Hired  a  wagon  to  take  us  and  our 
plunder  to  Princeton,  thirty  miles,  for  which  we 
paid  four  dollars  each.  Our  party  was  now  reduced 
to  the  original  number  (three),  having  left  our 
two  companions  to  pursue  their  journey  down  the 
river.  Our  way  to  Princeton  was  through  woods, 
with  now  and  then  a  cleared  spot.  We  saw  plenty 
of  squirrels,  wild  turkeys  and  almost  wild  pigs. 
These  pigs  were  turned  out  into  the  woods  by  their 
owners  to  find  their  own  living,  and  some  of  them 
had  become  nearly  as  savage  as  bears.  We  were 
informed  that  bears  and  panthers  were  occasionally 
seen  in  this  part  of  the  country.  Amongst  the 
animals,  we  saw  a  male  opossum,  which,  being  a 
slow  animal,  did  not  attempt  to  avoid  us.  They 
are  said  to  be  very  destructive  to  poultry.  Arrived 
at  Princeton  about  dusk.  At  this  place  we 
became  acquainted  with  Mr.  Fordham,  a  young 
English  gentleman  who  accompanied  Mr.  Birbeck 
from  England  and  had  settled  with  him  on  his 
prairie  in  Illinois  Territory,  about  thirty  miles  north- 
west of  this  place,  across  the  Wabash.  Spent  the 
day  trying  to  purchase  horses  to  carry  us  the  rest 
of  our  journey,  but  our  efforts  proved  unsuccessful. 


A    TOUR    IN    THE    UNITED    STATES    149 

We  were  shown  a  good  many  ugly-looking  horses 
of  suspicious  character,  but  could  not  bargain  for 
any  of  them,  being  unwilling  to  pay  double  their 
value.  The  whole  tribe  of  horse  sellers  were  in 
a  league  to  jockey  us,  as  it  was  well  known  we 
had  no  way  of  proceeding  but  on  horseback. 

June  %6th. — Still  detained  at  Princeton,  owing 
to  our  not  being  able  to  procure  horses.  Mr.  R., 
however,  was  accommodated  by  his  friend  Fordham 
with  a  horse,  which  he  happened  to  have,  and  they 
therefore  both  set  out  for  the  prairie  together. 

Our  tavern  and  an  adjoining  store  we  found  a 
grand  receptacle  for  loungers.  Besides  Mr.  Hulme 
and  myself,  a  lawyer  and  a  doctor  who  boarded  in 
the  house,  were  two  or  three  storekeepers,  another 
doctor,  and  others  whose  profession  we  could  not 
discover,  who  appeared  to  do  little  else  all  day  long 
than  sit  with  the  backs  of.  their  chairs  leaned 
against  the  wall.  Why  should  there  be  so  much 
idleness  where  labourers  are  so  scarce  and  there 
is  so  much  to  be  done  ?  Many  people  here  seem 
to  consider  it  a  part  of  their  rights  as  freemen  not 
to  work.  They  can  get  a  livelihood  with  but  little 
labour,  and  in  order  to  obtain  more  they  would 
make  use  of  almost  any  means  rather  than  work. 
They  speculate  in  land,  turn  dry-goods  merchants, 
etc.  It  would  seem  as  if  nothing  would  make 
mankind  labour  hard  but  compulsion.  Is  it  not 
labour  alone,  however,  which  creates  the  wealth 
and  power  of  a  nation  ?  The  dry-goods  merchant 
and  the  land  speculator  add  nothing  to  the  common 
stock,  but  the  weaver  and  spinner  increase  it  a 


150      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

hundredfold.  Though  there  was  much  lounging 
about  in  our  tavern,  there  appeared  to  be  very 
little  drinking,  and  we  saw  nothing  like  disorderly 
behaviour. 

June  27th. — This  morning  a  man  called  at  the 
tavern  who  said  he  had  been  riding  eleven  days, 
night  and  day,  after  two  men  who  had  stolen  two 
horses.  From  the  description  he  gave  of  one  of 
them,  he  would  have  cut  a  figure  in  the  annals 
of  Newgate.  Besides  being  guilty  of  numerous 
robberies  and  a  frequent  inmate  of  the  prisons, 
he  was  a  great  gambler  and  had  three  wives,  one 
of  whom  had  lately  married  again.  The  man 
who  had  been  pursuing  him  had  lost  him  amongst 
a  gang  of  thieves  and  forgers  at  Vincennes.  So 
much  for  backwoods  virtue.  We  asked  the  pur- 
suer what  he  would  have  done  with  the  thief 
had  he  come  up  with  him.  He  replied  he  would 
immediately  have  shot  him  dead  off  his  horse. 
So  much  for  backwoods  independence.  This  day 
we  bought  two  horses,  one  for  135  dollars  and  the 
other  for  125  dollars,  good,  able  nags. 

June  %8th. — We  mounted  our  new  nags  and 
sallied  forth  to  visit  Mr.  Birbeck's  settlement  on 
the  other  side  of  the  Wabash,  in  Illinois  Territory. 
Our  road  was  of  course  through  woods,  sometimes 
on  a  well-beaten  road  and  at  others  along  a  mere 
path.  The  most  difficult  part  of  our  journey 
was  through  a  swamp  of  about  a  mile  in  length 
from  the  bank  of  the  river.  We  first  attempted 
to  pass  it  on  our  horses,  but  mine  beginning 


A    TOUR    IN    THE    UNITED    STATES    151 

suddenly  to  sink,  and  plunging  to  extricate  himself, 
I  jumped  off  his  back  and  left  him  to  scramble 
out  his  own  way,  which  he  luckily  did.  Mr.  Hulme 
followed  my  example  in  dismounting,  and  we  waded 
through  the  mud,  often  nearly  up  to  our  knees, 
perspiring  at  every  pore  and  tormented  by  crowds 
of  mosquitoes.  The  swamp  was  full  of  timber, 
which  rendered  the  air  exceptionally  close  and  hot 
and  made  the  place  far  from  being  the  most  eligible 
for  an  exercise  so  laborious.  After  we  had  crossed 
the  swamp,  Mr.  Hulme  said  that  during  one  part 
of  the  journey  he  almost  expected  to  have  died  three 
sorts  of  deaths — one-third  buried,  one-third  burnt 
and  the  other  third  devoured  by  mosquitoes.  We, 
however,  arrived  safe  at  the  banks  of  the  Wabash, 
where  we  found  a  ferry.  This  river  is  here  appar- 
ently nearly  as  wide  and  quite  as  rapid  as  our  old 
acquaintance  the  Ohio.  In  the  low  land  on  the 
banks  of  the  river  grows  a  sort  of  cane  in  great 
abundance.  At  the  ferry  we  luckily  met  with 
a  man  who  was  riding  to  his  home  near  Mr. 
Birbeck's  and  served  us  as  a  guide.  On  our  way  we 
forded  across  Bon  Pas  Creek,  about  seven  miles  from 
Mr.  B.'s  residence,  and  soon  after  entered  the  prairie 
land.  The  prairies  are  tracts  of  land  free  from 
timber,  except  that  in  some  of  them  is  here  and 
there  a  small  growth  of  young  trees  and  brush. 
They  are,  however,  surrounded  with  wood,  being  as 
it  were  interspersed  in  the  forest  like  islands  in  an 
archipelago.  They  are  covered  with  natural  grass 
and  weeds,  in  some  places  three  or  four  feet  high, 


152      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

and  are  of  various  sizes,  from  50  or  100  acres  to 
25,000  or  30,000.  After  having  been  immersed  in 
woods  long,  it  was  a  gratification  to  find  ourselves 
in  an  open  country,  and  as  we  rode  along  we  often 
expressed  to  each  other  our  admiration  of  the 
beauty  of  the  prospect.  Some  of  the  land  is  level, 
but  there  is  also  much  variety  of  hill  and  dale,  or,  as 
it  is  termed  in  this  country,  rolling  land.  Pursuing 
a  well-beaten  track,  sometimes  through  wood  and 
sometimes  through  prairie,  we  reached  Mr.  Birbeck's 
about  dusk,  and  as  soon  as  he  saw  us  he  stepped 
from  his  log  cabin  to  welcome  us  on  our  arrival. 
Soon  after  we  were  called  to  supper  by  the  sound 
of  a  horn,  and  we  partook  of  it  in  another  small 
cabin  a  few  paces  distant.  After  supper  we  re- 
turned to  the  cabin  we  first  entered,  and  before 
long  stretched  out  a  number  of  narrow  mattresses 
and  blankets  which  lay  in  a  heap  at  one  side  of 
the  cabin.  Some  with  their  clothes  on  and  some 
with  them  off,  all  slept  soundly  till  morning. 

June  29th. — I  took  a  ride  to  one  or  two  prairies 
in  the  neighbourhood.  We  rambled  about  more  than 
half  a  day,  sometimes  striking  out  a  new  path 
through  thick  brushwood,  impervious  to  any 
horses  but  those  accustomed  to  the  country,  and 
sometimes  traversing  an  ocean  of  long  grass,  exposed 
to  the  rays  of  a  burning  sun,  and  busied  in  driving 
away  the  swarms  of  flies  which  continually  tor- 
mented our  horses.  The  flies  are  the  pest  of  the 
prairies.  They  infest  them  for  about  three  months, 
during  the  hottest  part  of  the  summer  and  autumn  ; 


A    TOUR    IN    THE    UNITED    STATES    153 

at  which  season,  if  a  horse  makes  his  appearance, 
numbers  immediately  attack  him  without  mercy, 
and,  being  recruited  by  fresh  swarms,  never  let  him 
have  a  moment's  respite.  The  flies  we  saw  appeared 
to  be  of  two  kinds.  One,  called  the  prairie  fly, 
being  peculiar  to  the  prairies,  is  about  the  size 
and  form  of  the  English  horsefly,  but  of  a  glossy 
green  and  yellow  colour.  The  other  is  also  found 
in  the  woodlands,  but  not  in  such  large  numbers 
as  on  the  prairies,  and  is  about  as  large  as  a 
humble-bee. 

June  3Qth. — Took  a  ride  to  the  village  prairie, 
about  five  miles  from  Mr.  Birbeck's  cabin,  where 
some  gentlemen  from  England,  who  have  joined 
Mr.  Birbeck  since  his  arrival,  have  each  built 
a  small  cabin  for  themselves  and  their  families, 
on  land  they  have  purchased  from  him.  To  supply 
themselves  with  water  they  have  begun  to  sink 
wells  close  to  their  cabins,  which  experiment,  from 
the  success  Mr.  Birbeck  has  met  with,  they  have 
no "  doubt  will  answer.  The  cabins  are  built  of 
the  trunks  of  trees,  with  very  little  more  preparation 
than  having  the  bark  stripped  from  them.  They 
are  notched  together  at  the  corners,  and  the  space 
between  them  is  filled  up  with  pieces  of  wood.  They 
intend  plastering  the  walls  with  mortar,  but  this 
is  not  yet  done,  lime  being  difficult  to  be  procured. 
The  light  is  therefore  admitted  in  abundance  on  all 
sides,  which  renders  the  single  glass  window  fixed 
in  the  door  for  the  present  unnecessary.  The  cabins 
are  roofed  with  split  planks,  fastened  down  with 


154      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

small  logs.  Though  the  whole  house  is  built  of 
wood,  there  is  not  a  nail  in  it  except  to  fasten  down 
the  planks  which  form  the  floor.  The  cabins 
being  all  only  one  story  high,  rooms  are  added  by 
extending  the  ground  floor.  Such  is  the  house  of 
a  backwoodsman." 

The  journal  goes  on  to  give  various  details  of 
Mr.  Bir beck's  property  which  may  be  omitted. 

"  The  mode  of  forming  a  new  road  through  the 
woods  is  to  set  off  with  an  axe  in  a  direct  line  by 
the  compass  to  the  place  intended,  and  with  the 
axe  to  slash  off  a  small  piece  of  the  bark  from  here 
and  there  a  tree  in  the  way.  The  mark  thus  made 
on  the  tree  is  called  a  blaze,  and  the  road  thus 
formed  is  called  a  blazed  road.  Succeeding  travellers 
form  a  path,  which  serves  very  well  as  a  road  for 
horsemen.  To  make  a  wagon  road  of  it,  the 
trees  in  the  way  are  cut  down  within  six  or  eight 
inches  of  the  ground.  A  road  to  a  county  town 
is  distinguished  by  three  notches  upon  the  trees, 
one  above  another,  and  is  termed  a  county  or 
three-notch  road.  If  a  bridgeless  river  of  but 
moderate  width  crosses  the  road,  the  backwoods- 
man plunges  his  horses  into  it  and  swims  over  it. 

July  1st. — Took  leave  of  Mr.  Birbeck  and  his 
friends  and  set  off  for  Harmony.  We  proceeded 
without  difficulty  to  Davis's  ferry  on  the  Wabash. 
As  we  were  here  informed  there  was  little  or  no 
road  for  some  distance  on  the  other  side,  we  hired 


A    TOUR    IN    THE    UNITED    STATES    155 

a  boy  to  conduct  us.  After  taking  us  about  half 
a  mile,  he  told  us  we  could  easily  find  the  way  by 
keeping  the  track  and  observing  the  blazes  on 
the  trees.  We*  therefore  paid  him  and  he  left 
us.  He  had  hardly,  however,  got  out  of  hearing 
before  we  completely  lost  both  track  and  blaze, 
and  rambled  about  amongst  the  canes  under  the 
trees  like  blind  puppies  thrown  into  a  millpond. 
We  shouted,  but  to  no  purpose.  It  being  about 
noon,  we  gazed  at  the  sun,  until  we  were  nearly 
blind,  to  find  our  course,  and  after  much  conjecture 
set  off  in  a  direction  which  we  judged  must  be 
south.  It  luckily  was  so,  and  brought  us  to  a 
plantation,  where  we  were  directed  on  our  way. 
We  had  not  travelled  far  before  we  came  to  a 
bay  or  lagoon,  being  a  considerable  stream  of 
water  which  separates  from  the  river  and  joins  it 
lower  down,  forming  an  island  of  a  considerable 
tract  of  country.  We  crossed  this  bay  in  a  canoe 
and  our  horses  swam  over.  After  fording  the 
Black  River  we  arrived  in  good  time  at  Harmony, 
on  the  Wabash.  For  about  a  mile  from  the  town 
our  road  lay  close  to  the  bank  of  the  Wabash. 

Harmony  is  the  settlement  of  the  Harmony 
Society,  composed  of  about  eighty  Germans  under 
the  ecclesiastical  government  of  their  minister,  the 
well-known  Mr.  Rapp.  Here  the  American  is 
shown  a  pattern  of  what  industry  can  accomplish. 
The  Harmonians  removed  hither  from  Pittsburg 
about  four  years  ago.  They  have  built  themselves 
a  small  town  of  cabins  and  have  2,000  acres  under 


156      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

cultivation,  the  low  land  covered  with  wheat  and 
corn,  growing  in  the  utmost  luxuriance,  forming 
an  immense  field  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  and 
the  hilly  ground  covered  with  beautiful  vineyards. 
In  the  town  they  manufacture  almost  all  they  want 
themselves,  selling  every  year  much  of  their  surplus 
produce  to  all  the  country  round,  and  buying 
little.  They  have  a  pretty  extensive  manufactory 
of  woollen  cloth,  but  have  no  manufactory  of 
cotton  goods.  The  women  as  well  as  the  men  are 
fully  employed.  Whilst  we  remained  here  the 
manufactories  were  nearly  standing  idle,  all  the 
community  being  employed  in  reaping  the  wheat. 
We  saw  hundreds  working  together,  the  women 
in  one  field  and  the  men  in  another.  I  could  not 
ascertain  the  rules  of  the  Society;  they,  however, 
have  all  their  stock  in  common  and  each  labours 
for  the  common  good.  Mr.  Rapp  is  at  their  head, 
but  how  he  came  to  be  so,  and  to  have  a  brick 
house  like  a  palace  when  all  the  rest  are  log  cabins, 
is  to  me  a  wonder.  He  appears  to  have  the  com- 
plete control  of  them ;  so  much  so  that,  at  his 
command,  the  husbands  and  wives  separate  and 
the  young  men  and  women  refrain  from  marriage. 
The  husbands  and  wives  are  at  present  allowed 
to  live  together,  but  we  were  told  that  the  period 
of  this  privilege  would  soon  expire.  The  men 
and  women  are  at  all  times  kept  much  separate. 
We  were  told  that  when  any  person  joined  this 
Society  he  was  obliged  to  deposit  his  property 
in  the  common  stock,  and  that  he  might  leave  it 


A    TOUR    IN    THE    UNITED    STATES    157 

when  he  pleased,  but  in  that  case  he  was  only 
allowed  to  take  out  the  sum  he  originally  deposited, 
without  interest  and  without  any  remuneration 
for  his  labour  in  the  meantime.  There  was 
service  in  the  church  when  we  arrived.  The  bell 
sounded  very  soon  after  the  reapers  returned  from 
the  fields,  and  in  an  instant  the  whole  town  issued 
from  their  houses,  like  bees  from  their  hives,  and 
completely  crowded  the  church,  the  women  on 
one  side  and  the  men  on  the  other.  We  entered 
among  the  rest,  but  understood  not  a  word  of  the 
service,  as  it  was  given  in  Dutch. 

Leaving  Harmony,  we  travelled  along  a  well- 
beaten  wagon  road  to  Princeton." 

Here  we  must  leave  our  travellers,  as  the  account 
of  the  remainder  of  the  trip  and  the  return  to 
Philadelphia  is  not  preserved.  Enough  has  been 
quoted  to  give  some  idea  of  the  means  of  locomo- 
tion available  in  the  America  of  the  early  years 
of  the  nineteenth  century,  when  towns  were  begin- 
ning to  spring  up  with  great  rapidity  in  the  great 
country  whose  freedom  was  then  but  a  few  years 
old.  As  we  have  seen,  the  steam  engine  was  in 
its  infancy.  Steamboats  on  the  great  rivers  were 
just  making  their  appearance,  but  the  railway 
which  now  knits  together  the  vast  continent  was 
unthought  of. 


CHAPTER  VII 

1820-40  : 

THE    TRANSITION    PERIOD:     A    VISIT 
TO    PARIS 

ALTHOUGH  in  the  last  chapter  we  have 
caught  a  glimpse  of  a  steamboat  in  America, 
we  have  little  to  record  of  the  gradual 
changes  from  sailing-ship  to  steamboat  and  from 
coach  to  train  which  had  their  inception  since 
the  days  in  which  Dr.  Roget's  continental  journey 
of  1802-3  was  made,  as  he  made  no  very  extended 
journeys  during  this  transition  period. 

On  looking  through  his  notes,  however,  it  is 
interesting  to  observe  that  in  August  1824  he 
makes  the  first  mention  of  travelling  by  "  steam 
packet  "  in  a  voyage  from  Liverpool  to  the  Isle 
of  Man  in  the  City  of  Glasgow,  occupying  from 
ten  in  the  morning  to  ten  in  the  evening.  He 
subsequently  went  on  in  the  same  boat  to 
Ardrossan.  Another  reference  in  1826  describes 
him  as  setting  out  in  the  steam  packet  from 
Bristol  bound  for  Ilfracombe,  but  "  obliged  to 
put  back  on  account  of  a  gale  of  wind." 


158 


FlG.    G         KAKLY    STKAM    I'AC'KKT    AT    DOVKK,    1S±2. 
(from  (in  rngrariiig  iij'ler  Turner.) 


To  faco  p 


THE    TRANSITION    PERIOD         159 

It  may  be  remarked  here  that,  although  the 
early  experiments  of  Symington  in  Scotland  went 
back  as  far  as  1801,  regular  sailings  of  passenger 
steamers  do  not  appear  to  have  commenced  till 
1815,  when  the  first  steam  packet  began  to  ply 
between  Liverpool  and  Glasgow.  It  was  in  1816 
that  the  first  steam  passenger-boat  ran  across 
the  Channel  from  Brighton  to  Havre.  As  far 
as  can  be  ascertained,  the  first  steamboat  placed 
on  the  Dover  cross-Channel  service  was  the 
Rob  Roy,  which  started  running  in  1820.  Again 
we  can  appeal  to  Turner  for  the  appearance  of 
these  boats.  Part  of  an  engraving  after  a 
view  of  Dover  in  1822  is  reproduced  in  Fig.  6, 
and  shows  one  of  these  tiny  boats  packed 
with  passengers,  and  with  the  long  thin  funnel 
which  was  characteristic  of  the  early  steam- 
boats. 

We  are,  however,  able  to  give  an  account  of 
the  conditions  prevalent  in  1830  from  a  journal 
written  by  Mrs.  Mary  Roget  during  a  visit  to 
Paris  with  her  husband  (Dr.  P.  M.  Roget)  in  that 
year.  It  may  be  remarked  here  that  Dr.  Roget 
was  by  this  time  Secretary  of  the  Royal  Society, 
a  position  to  which  he  was  elected  in  1827  and 
retained  for  twenty  years.  Here  for  the  first 
time  we  cross  the  Channel  by  steam,  but  we  still 
travel  by  coach  or  carriage  along  the  roads.  On 
this  occasion  the  passage  was  made  from  South- 
ampton to  Havre.  The  journal  will  not  be  given 
by  any  means  in  full,  but  a  few  portions  which 


160      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

bear  upon  the  travel  and  other  conditions   may 
be  of  interest. 


"  On  Friday,  the  3rd  (Sept.),  we  left  London  at 
ten  o'clock,  in  the  stage  for  Southampton.  Arrived 
about  half-past  eight.  Bright  moon ;  walked  on 
the  quay,  and  went  to  bed.  On  Saturday,  4th, 
at  half-past  seven,  embarked  on  board  the 
George  IV  steam  packet  for  Havre.  Took  in 
passengers  at  Portsmouth.  We  sailed  along  the 
beautiful  smiling  coast  of  the  Isle  of  Wight. 
When  we  lost  sight  of  land  and  found  ourselves 
in  the  open  sea,  we  gradually  settled  down  to 
something  like  a  moody  silence,  feeling  a  little 
disturbed  by  the  motion  of  the  vessel.  We  betook 
ourselves  to  different  resting-places  on  deck,  and 
as  it  was  fortunately  a  very  fine  day,  I  remained 
lying  on  my  mattress  on  the  wooden  sofa  from 
eleven  o'clock  till  ten  o'clock  at  night,  not  being 
able  to  raise  my  head  till  we  approached  the 
harbour  at  Havre.  About  two  miles  from  the 
town  we  were  met  by  a  pilot,  and  from  him  and 
his  boatman  I  first  heard  the  strange  sound  of  a 
foreign  language.  By  that  time  the  moon  had 
risen,  and  her  dear  light  beautifully  illumined 
the  line  of  houses  on  the  quay,  which,  seen  through 
the  shipping,  had  a  very  picturesque  effect.  Three 
Frenchwomen  in  caps  were  the  foremost  of  the 
crowd  to  receive  us.  They  seemed  to  be  quite 
au  fait  with  the  business  of  the  custom  house  and 
gave  every  information  required.  One  of  them 


THE    TRANSITION    PERIOD         161 

opened  the  door  of  a  closet  and  told  me  I  must 
enter  to  be  examined.  Accordingly,  a  woman, 
placed  there  for  the  purpose,  proceeded  to  examine 
my  person,  which  she  did  very  ineffectually, 
and  I  might  have  been  spared  the  annoyance 
of  having  her  hand  inserted  underneath  my  stays. 
She  said  she  merely  wished  to  see  if  I  had  any 
marchandise  anglaise  about  me,  and  took  no 
notice  of  two  English  shawls  I  wore — one  quite 
new,  which  an  English  friend  at  Paris  had  re- 
quested me  to  carry  over  for  her.  Two  minutes 
at  the  farthest  served  to  satisfy  Madame,  and 
we  were  only  allowed  to  bring  on  shore  what 
we  actually  wanted  for  the  night  out  of  our  carpet 
bag,  which,  having  a  lock  upon  it,  we  were 
obliged  to  leave  in  the  boat. 

We  soon  walked  to  the  inn,  and  were  imme- 
diately shown  to  our  room.  But  the  dismay  of 
an  English  lady  was  considerable  to  find  that 
this  room  was  but  a  step  raised  above  the  court- 
yard, a  tiled  floor  without  carpet  and  two  very 
high  windows,  with  very  thin  muslin  curtains 
half-way  up,  opening  into  the  court  or  public 
entrance,  so  that  it  was  exactly  like  sleeping  in 
the  street.  I  did  not  like  the  idea  of  undressing 
in  so  exposed  a  situation.  To  add  to  which,  the 
upper  half  of  the  windows  was  overlooked  by 
the  huge  kitchen  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
court.  Fatigue,  however,  helped  to  reconcile  me, 
and  after  taking  coffee  I  did  go  to  bed,  and 
slept  well. 

11 


162      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

Sunday,    5th. — We    sallied    forth    to    see   some- 
thing  of  the   town,   which   is   not   pretty.     Rain 
coming  on,  we  took  shelter  in  a  cobbler's  shop, 
where  he  was  following  his  trade,   Sunday  as  it 
was.     Close  to  his  elbow,  his  wife  was  dressing  a 
salad  for  dinner,  and  in  a  corner  of  the  room  a 
man  was  doing  something  to  his  toilet.     They  very 
civilly  placed  me  in  a  chair.     I  could  not  resist 
buying  a  pair  of  French  clogs,  for  the  rain  had 
made    the   streets   so   very  dirty — a   river  in  the 
middle    of     almost    every    street — that    I    could 
scarcely   get  to  the   inn   without  them.     An   old 
school-friend  of  Dr.  Roget's  called  to  take  us  to 
the    Protestant    church    and    invited    us    to    dine 
with  him  at  six  o'clock.     The  church  is  a  small 
chapel  with  a  gallery,   the  gentlemen  and  ladies 
divided  to  the  right  and  left  of  a  narrow  centre 
aisle.  .  .  .  When   it   was   time   to   go   to   Mr.   de 
R.'s    we    took    a    hackney   coach   (fiacre)— much 
cleaner    than    those    in     London— which    carried 
us  up  the  hill  where  Mr.  de  R.'s  country  cottage 
is   situated.  .  .  .  Our  dinner  I  must  describe,  as 
it  differed  from  our  mode  of  entertaining  in  some 
points.     The   host   and   hostess    sat   at   the   sides 
of  the  table  opposite  to  each  other,  their  guests 
arranged    by    Madame    at   the   top    of   the   table 
and  the  children  together  below.     On  the  middle 
of  the  table  was  a  soup  and  four  covered  corner 
dishes.     Madame  helped  the  soup  and  sent  it  round. 
That  was  removed  and  fish  placed  there,  carved 
and  handed  in  the  same  way.     Then  bouillie  was 


THE    TRANSITION    PERIOD         163 

handed  round,  and  afterwards  the  four  corner 
dishes  were  carved — duck  stewed  with  cucumber 
in  the  sauce,  tongue  with  tomato  sauce,  and 
fricandeau  of  veal.  When  this  was  removed 
there  was  another  course  of  five  dishes.  One 
was  stewed  peaches  and  the  others  little  sweets 
or  puddings.  The  dessert  on  the  tablecloth 
and  as  much  cake  as  fruit.  .  .  .  Our  coach  took 
us  home  at  night. 

Monday. — The  first  thing  we  had  to  do  was 
to  get  our  luggage  from  the  custom  house.  It 
could  not  be  got  on  Saturday  night ;  we  arrived 
too  late,  and  they  would  not  attend  to  transact 
business  on  the  Sunday.  Passports,  too,  were 
refused  on  Sunday,  so  that  if  we  had  been  travel- 
ling to  see  a  sick  friend  at  Rouen,  we  should 
have  been  thirty-six  hours  stationary  from  legal 
delays.  After  we  were  clear  of  the  custom  house, 
we  joined  the  R.'s  in  a  carriage  excursion  to 
Harfleur,  a  town  once  a  seaport,  about  four  miles 
up  the  river.  .  .  ." 

The  journal  goes  on  to  describe  a  visit  to  a 
chateau  near  Harfleur  and  a  private  concert  which 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Roget  attended  in  the  evening  in 
Havre. 

"  Tuesday,  7th.— At  ten  o'clock  embarked  on 
board  the  Navrais  steamboat  for  Rouen.  Our 
sailing  along  the  Seine  was  very  enchanting.  The 
river  winds  at  the  foot  of  gentle  hills,  constantly 


164      TRAVEL   IN  TWO   CENTURIES 

varying,  sometimes  gently  sloping  to  the  water, 
with  small  villages  and  pretty  churches  concealed 
in  the  thick  foliage.  At  others  the  broken  chalk 
cliffs  terminate  abruptly  and  give  more  wildness 
to  the  scene.  At  the  mouth  of  the  river,  where 
the  water  undergoes  a  remarkable  change  of  ap- 
pearance, the  picturesque  town  of  Quilleboeuf  is 
situated,  projecting  considerably  into  the  water. 
On  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  is  a  pic- 
turesque old  chateau  whose  white  walls  beau- 
tifully contrasted  with  the  dark  foliage  on  the 
side  of  the  hills.  The  navigation  of  this  part  of 
the  river  is  dangerous  from  formidable  sandbanks, 
but  the  bar  once  crossed,  the  sailing  is  easy  and 
delightful.  I  am  told  that  the  banks  of  the 
Seine  give  us  the  most  beautiful  part  of  the  North 
of  France,  and  we  certainly  remarked  afterwards, 
as  we  went  from  Rouen  to  Paris  by  land,  that 
where  we  lost  sight  of  the  river  the  scene  became 
flat  and  uninteresting.  We  dined  on  deck.  As  we 
approached  Rouen  the  hills  began  to  diminish 
in  height,  and  the  magnificent  cathedral  soon 
towered  above  every  other  object.  The  first  ap- 
pearance of  the  town,  with  the  heights  of  St. 
Catherine  behind,  is  magnificent.  The  boulevards 
afford  trees,  which  appear  to  mingle  with  the 
shipping.  The  evening  sun  was  shining  upon  the 
town  and  the  picture  was  quite  enchanting.  We 
directed  our  steps  to  the  Hotel  de  Rouen  on  the 
Quay,  and  were  shown  into  a  very  pretty  room. 
As  soon  as  we  had  deposited  our  baggage,  which 


THE   TRANSITION    PERIOD         165 

was  only  slightly  inspected  by  an  officer  on  board 
the  boat,  we  thought  .we  would  make  an  attempt 
to  go  to  the  theatre,  but  found  the  principal 
one  was  closed  on  account  of  some  little  dis- 
turbance among  the  workmen.  We  walked  a 
long  way  across  the  bridge  to  a  smaller  one,  but 
found  that  it  was  closed  too,  and  we  had  to 
return  through  violent  rain,  from  which  we  took 
shelter  in  the  first  cafe  we  met  with.  It  was 
the  first  I  had  been  in.  They  are  all  furnished 
with  separate  tables.  .  .  .  Opposite  to  the  entrance 
generally  sits  a  lady  with  writing-desk  before  her. 
She  keeps  the  accounts,  etc.,  and  if  you  pass  by 
the  table  you  are  expected  to  move  to  her.  She 
goes  by  the  name  of  the  c  Goddess.'  In  this 
case  she  had  a  very  earthly  look,  and  her 
votaries  were  not  of  the  first  or  second  class, 
and  were  all  men,  most  of  them  playing 
dominoes.  .  .  ." 

We  will  omit  the  description  of  Rouen  and 
its  objects  of  interest.  The  journal  continues  : — 

"  We  slept  well ;  and,  surrounded  by  a  dense 
fog,  set  out  at  6.30  in  the  coupe  of  the  diligence 
for  Paris.  .  .  .  We  passed  by  some  very  pretty 
villages  and  dined  at  Mantes,  passed  a  few 
vineyards,  and  arrived  in  Paris  by  nine  o'clock." 

WTe  do  not  propose  to  weary  the  reader  with 
Mrs.  Roget's  account  of  all  the  sights  which 


166      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

they  saw  and  entertainments  which  they  attended 
in  Paris,  but  will  go  on  to  the  entry  in 
the  journal  for  September  21st,  which  reads  as 
follows  : — 

"  We  spent  this  day  in  packing  and  took  one 
walk  into  the  Palais  Royal.  Dined  in  our  room 
at  four  o'clock,  and  were  at  the  coach  office  by 
half-past  five,  to  set  out  by  the  malle  poste  to 
Calais.  Mr.  W.  was  the  third  in  the  carriage, 
and  we  travelled  all  night  and  the  following  day 
through  an  uninteresting  country  to  Calais,  which 
we  reached  about  half-past  ten  at  night.  This 
coach  carries  three  inside  and  one  in  a  sort  of 
caleche  in  front  with  the  courier.  Five  horses 
drew  it,  and  we  were  nine  or  ten  hours  quicker 
than  the  diligence  on  the  same  road. 

Thursday,  23rd. — We  intended  to  have  sailed 
in  the  steamboat  for  Dover,  which  left  Calais 
at  twelve  this  morning.  All  our  boxes  were  on 
board,  and  we  trembled  as  we  heard  the  wind 
whistling ;  but  as  no  one  spoke  of  danger,  we 
proceeded  without  remonstrance.  Just  as  we  were 
stepping  on  board,  the  captain  was  heard  to 
say  that  he  would  not  advise  ladies  to  embark, 
for  he  did  not  expect  to  land  at  Dover,  and  the 
disembarking  at  Ramsgate  was  very  disagreeable. 
Such  disinterested  advice  we  were  bound  to  follow, 
and  we  ordered  our  boxes  on  shore  again.  They 
were  not  allowed  to  accompany  us,  however,  without 
a  second  visit  to  the  custom  house,  where  one 


THE    TRANSITION    PERIOD         167 

of  our  boxes,  which  had  been  allowed  to  pass 
unmolested  in  going,  was  torn  open,  after  having 
committed  the  sin  of  entering  the  steamboat. 
Calais  is  not  a  very  attractive  town,  and  after 
we  had  looked  into  the  principal  church  and 
walked  upon  the  ancient  walls,  once  strongly 
fortified  against  the  English,  we  found  nothing 
to  entertain  us.  A  French  lady,  who  was  travel- 
ling alone  to  England,  proved  an  agreeable  com- 
panion. She  told  us  of  her  life  having  been 
saved  eight  years  before  on  this  very  voyage  by 
the  intrepidity  of  an  English  gentleman.  They 
sailed  from  Calais  in  fine  weather,  but  before 
they  could  reach  Dover  were  overtaken  by  a 
storm.  The  lady  was  very  ill,  and  gave  herself 
up  for  lost  when  they  told  her  that  the  only 
chance  the  passengers  had  for  their  lives  was 
to  throw  themselves  into  the  sea  and  swim  ashore, 
a  distance  of  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile.  The 
young  gentleman  told  her  not  to  despair,  for  he 
would  save  her,  if  possible.  He  took  off  his  coat, 
tied  her  to  his  back,  and  carried  her  to  the  shore 
alive.  .  .  . 

The  wind  continued  very  high  all  day,  and 
there  seemed  to  be  little  prospect  of  our  being 
able  to  sail  by  the  next  boat,  which  was  to  sail 
for  London  at  three  o'clock  on  Friday  morning. 
I  went,  however,  early  to  bed,  and  at  two  o'clock 
we  were  roused  by  a  message  from  the  captain 
that  the  wind  had  abated  a  little  and  he  would 
certainly  sail.  It  required  some  effort  to  obey 


168      TRAVEL  IN  TWO   CENTURIES 

his  summons,  and  the  lady  with  us  was  so  long 
in  dressing  that  we  were  the  last  on  board  and 
found  the  ladies'  cabin  filled.  The  wind  seemed 
to  us  as  high  as  ever  and  very  cold,  and  we  did 
not  enjoy  the  idea  of  being  out  on  deck  all  night. 
Roget  found  me  shivering  in  despair  and  insisted 
upon  taking  me  below.  His  berth  in  the  gentle- 
men's cabin  was  the  only  resource  I  had,  and  he 
sat  by  me  till  morning,  four  hours  of  tossing  and 
sickness,  before  we  got  into  the  river.  We  reached 
the  Tower  Stairs,  London,  about  six  o'clock,  and 
having  been  detained  two  hours  before  we  could 
pass  the  custom  house,  we  took  a  coach  for 
Bernard  Street  just  three  weeks  since  we  had  left 
it  for  Southampton." 

Dr.  Roget's  married  life  was,  sad  to  say,  only 
to  prove  of  nine  years'  duration ;  for  his  wife 
died  in  1833,  leaving  him  with  a  daughter  and 
a  son  not  yet  five  years  old,  the  latter  of  whom, 
John  Lewis  Roget  (the  present  editor's  father), 
we  shall  follow  in  further  travels  in  later 
chapters. 

Dr.  Roget's  mother,  whose  travels  we  have 
already  recounted,  died  two  years  later.  At  the 
time,  Dr.  Roget  happened  to  be  in  Ireland,  and 
a  good  idea  of  the  rate  at  which  travel  was 
accomplished  at  that  time  is  obtained  from  his 
hurried  journey  from  Dublin  on  this  occasion  to 
Ilfracombe,  where  his  mother  died,  and  where,  as 
we  have  already  said,  she  resided  during  much  of 


THE    TRANSITION    PERIOD         169 

the  latter  part  of  her  life.  According  to  his 
notes,  Dr.  Roget  embarked  in  the  Holyhead 
packet  at  7  p.m.  on  August  9th,  landed  at 
Holyhead  at  2  a.m.  the  next  day,  went  by 
mail  (coach)  to  Birmingham  and  slept  there, 
proceeding  to  Ilfracombe,  and  finally  arriving  there 
at  9  p.m.  on  August  12th. 

It  may  be  remarked  here  that  the  very 
numerous  references  to  coach  journeys  which  occur 
in  Dr.  Roget's  notes  refer  on  some  occasions 
to  the  "  Mail "  and  on  others  to  coach  services 
known  by  other  names,  such  as  the  "  Regu- 
lator," the  "  Tantivy,"  etc.  It  must  be  borne 
in  mind  that  one  great  point  of  difference 
between  the  mails,  which  were  Government  run 
and  existed  primarily  to  transport  the  mails, 
carrying  passengers  incidentally,  and  the  other 
"  stage "  coaches,  run  by  private  enterprise  for 
passenger  carrying,  was  that  the  mails  travelled 
at  night,  which  the  stage  coaches  did  not, 
and  also  they  carried  a  smaller  number  of 
passengers. 

The  joys  of  winter  coaching  are  shown  by  the 
following  note  on  December  26,  1836  :— 

"  Set  out  for  Weston  in  the  *  Tantivy '  l  ; 
stuck  for  an  hour  in  a  snowdrift  beyond  Salt 
Hill ;  stopped  at  Maidenhead,  obliged  to  sleep 
there.  Next  day  only  reached  Oxford.  Next  day 

1  One  of  the  most  well  known  of  the  fancy  names  that  were 
adopted  by  the  different  "  lines  "  of  coaches. 


170      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

slept    at   Enstone  and    arrived    on    the    29th    at 
Weston." 

A  few  years  later  he  refers  to  the  fact  that  his 
sister,  his  daughter  and  a  friend  were  "overturned 
near  Barnstaple." 

It  may  be  remarked  here  that  the  coaching 
period  in  England  may  be  said  to  have  finally 
closed  about  1848,  after  a  reign  of  less  than  two 
hundred  years,  for  it  can  be  reckoned  as  having 
commenced  in  1657,  although  the  old'  "  stage- 
wagons  "  first  carried  occasional  passengers  at 
the  end  of  the  sixteenth  century.  What  Harper, 
the  historian  of  coaching,1  calls  the  "  golden  age  " 
of  coaching  commenced  in  1825  and  closed  in 
1837.  In  that  year  the  zenith  had  been  reached, 
but  the  rapid  decline  soon  took  place.  In  these 
palmy  days  coaches  on  some  twenty-eight  dif- 
ferent mail  routes  left  London  every  night,  run- 
ning at  average  speeds,  including  stops,  of  from 
seven  to  ten  miles  per  hour.  As  a  contrast  to 
Fig.  2,  we  give  in  Fig.  7  a  representation  of  a 
mail  coach  of  1830  changing  horses  at  the  old 
"  White  Lion  "  at  Finchley. 

It  is  perhaps  remarkable  that  a  man  who 
took  such  a  keen  interest  in  mechanical  things 
as  Dr.  Roget  should  have  left  in  his  notes  no 
record  referring  to  the  steam  coaches  which,  owing 
to  the  endeavours  of  Gurney,  Hancock  and 
others,  ran  with  no  mean  degree  of  success  on 

1  See  note  on  p.  60. 


THE    TRANSITION    PERIOD         171 

the    roads    during    a    period    commencing    about 

1829  and    lasting    until    about    1836.     It    is    not 
always    realized    that,    considering    the    primitive 
resources  for  the  manufacture  of  machinery  then 
available,  these  vehicles  were  far  ahead  of  their 
time  from  an  engineering  point  of  view,   and  it 
was  only  the  prejudice  of  the  uneducated  against 
novelty,    the   opposition   of  vested  interests,  and 
finally   the   solution   of  the   problem   in   another 
way  by  the  railway  engineers,  that  compelled  them 
to  be  laid  aside  and  forgotten.     Nevertheless,  these 
steam   coaches   marked   a   very   distinct   stage  in 
the  development  of  road  locomotion,  and  if  they 
had  been  allowed  to  develop  freely  and  unhindered 
might   have   led   to   a   very   different   system   of 
mechanical  traction  becoming  general  long  before 
the  advent  of  the  petrol  motor. 

Dr.  Roget  makes  no  definite  reference  to  his 
first  experience  of  railway  travel,  but  the  com- 
mencement of  the  gradual  substitution  of  railways 
for  coach  travel  was  made  during  the  period 
we  are  considering.  The  historic  Stockton  and 
Darlington  Railway  was  opened  in  1821,  but 
passengers  were  not  regularly  carried  until  1825. 
The  era  of  passenger  railways  really  began  in 

1830  with  the  inauguration  of  the  Liverpool  and 
Manchester    Railway,    after    the    winning    of   the 
famous  locomotive  competition  at  Rainhill  in  the 
previous    year    by    Stephenson's    "  Rocket,"    now 
enjoying   its    well-earned    and    honoured    rest   in 
South  Kensington  Museum.     The  next  ten  years 


172      TRAVEL  IN  TWO   CENTURIES 

saw  the  inception  of  most  of  the  great  lines 
in  this  country,  but  the  great  rush  of  capital 
into  railway  construction  schemes  known  as 
the  "  Railway  Mania "  did  not  culminate  until 
1843. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

1844: 
A    TOUR    ON    THE    CONTINENT 

IN  company  with  his  two  children  and  a 
friend,  Dr.  Roget  made  an  extended  tour  of 
the  Continent  in  the  year  1844.  His  son,  John 
Lewis  Roget,  was  then  sixteen  years  of  age,  and 
this  tour  was  the  first  time  that  he  had  been  abroad, 
and  selections  from  his  account  are  given  below. 
Thus  the  third  generation  now  becomes  the  his- 
torian, and  in  his  turn  records  his  first  impressions 
of  a  foreign  country.  In  the  interval,  the  day 
of  the  railway  had  fully  dawned,1  and  this  is  the 
first  of  our  series  of  journeys  in  which  it  was 
employed ;  although,  as  will  be  seen,  considerable 
use  was  made  by  the  party  of  carriages  on  the 
road,  especially  in  Switzerland.  As  before,  we 
are  not  giving  Mr.  Roget's  account  in  full,  but 
confine  the  selections  to  those  parts  which  reflect 
the  travel  conditions  or  are  otherwise  interesting 

1  Here  again  the  contemporary  brush  of  the  great  Turner  shows 
us  something  of  interest,  as  "  Rain,  Steam  and  Speed,"  a  scene  on 
the  Great  Western  Railway,  now  in  the  National  Gallery,  was 
painted  in  1844. 


173 


174      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

or  amusing.  We  are  now  able  to  illustrate  the 
journeyings  to  some  extent  from  the  traveller's 
own  drawings,  for  Mr.  J.  L.  Roget  was  himself 
an  artist  of  no  mean  ability. 

In  the  introductory  portion  of  his  account 
the  young  writer  remarks :  "  Some  travel  for 
excitement,  some  to  say  they've  done  so,  others 
to  write  a  book,  some  in  search  of  knowledge, 
or  health,  or  plants,  or  some,  like  Dr.  Syntax, 
in  search  of  the  picturesque.  This  latter  pleasure 
was  our  aim  in  the  autumn  of  the  year  eighteen 
hundred  and  forty-four.  My  father  was  the 
only  one  of  the  party  who  had  been  on  the 
Continent  before,  and  he  had  not  been  in  Switzer- 
land for  forty-one  years,  when  he  was  compelled 
to  leave  Geneva  to  evade  being  captured  by 
Napoleon.  .  .  ." 

Continuing  in  Mr.  Roget's  words : — 

"  At  length  the  bustle  of  preparation  began 
to  diminish,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  26th  of 
July,  boxes  and  bags  were  seen  descending  the 
staircase  and  forming  a  pile  in  the  entrance-hall. 
At  nine  o'clock  a  hackney  coach  (one  of  the  last  of 
the  race),  followed  by  a  cab,  drove  up  to  the  door. 
Our  luggage  was  placed  in  the  cab  and  ourselves 
in  the  coach,  while  I  mounted  on  the  box  by  the 
side  of  the  coachman,  who  drove  us  to  the  Blackwall 
Railway  Station  in  Fenchurch  Street,  and  (oh, 
happy  omen !)  asked  no  more  than  his  proper 


A    TOUR    ON    THE    CONTINENT    175 

fare.     Having  travelled  by  the  railway  to  Black- 
wall,  we  found  ourselves  at  the  waterside  three- 
quarters  of  an  hour  before  the  boat  professed  to 
start.  .  .  .  The  day  was  bright  and  sunny  .  .  .  but 
our  enjoyment  was  in  a  slight  degree  diminished 
by  the  necessity  of  looking   after  certain   carpet 
bags 1    and    portmanteaus    and    depositing    them 
on   board   the    Soho,   in   which   we    had    engaged 
berths    and    were    to    be    conveyed    to    Antwerp. 
Having  performed  this  duty,  and  having  secured 
our    '  berth-right '    by    placing    our    sacs    de   nuit 
upon  certain  shelves  with  bedclothes  upon  them 
in  a  dark  cupboard,  we  sat  down  quietly  on  deck 
to  watch  the  passengers  crowding  on  board,  the 
idle  gazers  standing  on  the  pier,  and  the  farewell 
looks,  words  and  kisses  of  those  who  were  to  be 
left    behind.     At    length    the    flow    of   passengers 
began  to  cease  and  the  pile   of   luggage  on  the 
deck    to    attain    its    maximum    height.     A    few 
stragglers  came  hurrying  on  board,  the  gangway 
was  removed,   an  impatient  splashing  was  heard 
underneath.     The    pier,    the    station,    the    friends 
and  relations  receded  from  our  view,  as  we  glided 
majestically  down  the  river.     The  novelty  of  the 
trip  commenced  with  me  very  soon.     I  had  never 
descended  the  Thames  below  Woolwich,  but  not- 
withstanding the  attractions  of  Gravesend,  Herne 
Bay,  Margate,  etc.,  a  dinner  at  two  o'clock  gave  me 
an  opportunity  of  observing  our  fellow-travellers, 
who    were     with     few     exceptions     English.     My 

1  The  "  carpet  bag  "  as  a  piece  of  luggage  is  now  quite  obsolete. 


176      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

attention  had  been  already  attracted  by  two 
sisters,  neither  of  them  remarkably  young,  who 
wore  most  extraordinary  and  incomprehensible 
bonnets,  flimsy  and  nightcap  like,  under  one  of 
which  appeared  a  countenance  grim  and  like  that 
of  a  tigress.  The  lady  to  whom  this  amiable 
expression  belonged  was  peculiar  in  another 
respect,  viz.  in  that  of  remaining,  during  the 
whole  day,  in  the  same  seat,  in  the  same  position, 
reading  the  same  book,  partaking  of  no  visible 
food,  but  obstinately  retaining  her  tiger-like 
expression,  her  silence  and  her  camp-stool.  A 
pert  little  man  with  a  kind  of  brown-holland 
pinafore  and  a  large  telescope  formed  a  contrast 
to  the  studious  lady.  He  talked,  looked  through 
his  telescope,  ate,  drank,  and  seemed  everywhere 
at  once.  There  were  a  few  more  conspicuous 
passengers,  among  whom  an  aristocratic  family 
who  carried  their  own  spoons  were  prominent. 

We  passed  the  Foreland  as  it  was  becoming 
dusk,  and  I  found  myself,  for  the  first  time  in  my 
life,  out  of  sight  of  land,  on  a  calm  sea,  glittering 
in  the  moonlight.  The  calmness  of  the  sea  and 
the  brightness  of  the  moon  produced  a  visible 
change  in  the  occupations  of  the  passengers. 
Ladies  who  had  been  keeping  themselves  quiet 
belowstairs,  and  amusing  themselves  with  a  few 
volumes  of  Blackwood  (which  formed  the  largest 
part  of  the  small  library  in  the  saloon),  appeared 
on  deck,  and  laying  aside  all  thoughts  of  illness, 
joined  the  rest  in  passing  to  and  fro.  But  there 


A    TOUR    ON    THE    CONTINENT    177 

were  some  upon  whom  the  moon  could  produce 
no  effect,  for  a  certain  young  gentleman  in  a 
shoot  ing- jacket  immediately  ordered  some  fowls 
and  ale,  which  he  was  presently  seen  devouring 
with  great  avidity,  and  the  unsentimental  little 
man  in  a  pinafore  actually  succeeded  in  forming 
a  rubber  at  whist.  The  tigress  shut  up  her  book, 
rose  from  her  seat,  and  vanished.  While,  however, 
we  were  enjoying  ourselves  on  deck,  the  moon 
suddenly  disappeared  behind  a  black  cloud  and 
was  seen  no  more. 

After  making  ourselves  sure  that  she  was  not 
about  to  return,  we  all  retired  to  sleep ;  but  that 
was  a  luxury  denied  to  us.  The  draught  from  the 
aperture  which  served  as  a  window,  the  noise 
of  the  engine  in  the  next  apartment,  and  the 
cramped  position  which  the  limited  size  of  the 
berths  prescribed  to  us  [Fig.  8],  put  sleep  out  of 
the  question,  so  we  were  forced  to  content  ourselves 
with  listening  to  the  splash  of  the  water,  the 
everlasting  creaking  of  the  ship  and  the  hoarse 
voice  of  the  captain  giving  orders  from  above. 
Just  as  it  was  becoming  light,  I  began  to  doze, 
but  when  I  felt  with  joy  that  Morpheus  had  me — 
*  It's  five  o'clock,  sir,'  said  the  steward ;  so 
we  all  got  up,  or,  as  the  phrase  is,  'turned  out.' 
But  lo !  the  face  of  nature  was  changed ;  the 
clouds  which  had  obscured  the  moon  had  never 
cleared  away,  and  instead  of  a  bright  sun  shining 
in  the  Thames,  a  mizzling  rain  descended  on  the 
dreary  Scheldt.  A  dapper  little  Flemish  pilot 

12 


178      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

stood  at  the  helm  and  steered  us  between  the 
numerous  sandbanks.  ...  A  more  flat,  uninterest- 
ing scene  is  difficult  to  imagine.  There  is  nothing 
to  see  beyond  a  few  Flemish  fishing-boats  with 
painted  hulls,  sandbanks  without  end,  and  two 
straight  banks,  on  which  are  seen  formal  avenues, 
roofs  of  villages,  many  of  which  are  lower  than 
the  river,  and  some  church-towers  at  regular 
intervals.  Soon,  however,  the  tall  steeple  of 
Antwerp  Cathedral  appeared  on  the  horizon,  and 
a  little  after  nine  o'clock  we  arrived  at  the  quay. 
My  father  and  I  remained  with  our  keys  to  undergo 
the  trial  of  patience  inflicted  by  the  Flemish 
douane,  whose  officers  are  very  strict,  opening 
every  neatly  packed  parcel  and  penetrating  to 
the  very  bottom  of  the  trunks.  ...  As  for  us, 
we  escaped  without  much  trouble,  and  having 
engaged  a  porter  to  carry  our  luggage  [Fig.  9], 
we  followed  him  through  the  picturesque  streets 
of  Antwerp  to  the  Hotel  St.  Antoine.  ..." 

We  will  pass  over  the  account  of  the  visits  to 
some  of  the  objects  of  interest  at  Antwerp,  where 
Mr.  Roget's  artistic  interest  was  much  gratified 
by  the  masterpieces  of  Rubens  and  other  artists 
which  abound.  "  Antwerp,"  he  writes,  "  is  a 
curious  old  town,  very  picturesque,  not  from  its 
situation,  which  is  as  unfavourable  for  beauty 
as  possible,  but  for  its  buildings."  During  their 
peregrinations  it  came  on  to  rain,  and  "  a  com- 
missionnaire  was  dispatched  for  a  cab,  a  convenience 


FlQ.    8. — ON   THE    ANTWERP    BOAT,    1844. 


FlG.    9. — PORTER    AT    ANTWERP,    1814. 


FlG.    10.       GERMAN    STI   DENTS 
AT    C01.0GNK,    1H  ||. 


FlG.     11.-     HKHNKSE    COS1TMKS, 
1SI4. 


To  face  p  17 


A   TOUR    ON   THE    CONTINENT    179 

of  which  Antwerp  is  not  devoid,  and,"  he  continues, 
"  we  were  driven  by  a  being  in  a  blue  blouse  and 
a  substantial  pair  of  sabots.  ..."  It  is  amusing 
to  note  that  at  the  table  d'hote  at  their  hotel, 
"  It  fell  to  our  lot  to  sit  next  to  the  4  tigress  ' 
and  the  nightcap  (which,  however,  was  exchanged 
for  a  day-cap),  who  turned  out  to  be  a  reasonable 
being  and  her  sister  talkative  and  agreeable." 
During  one  of  their  walks  they  wished  to  have  a 
glance  at  a  building  known  as  the  Citadel,  and 
"  luckily  met  with  a  map  of  Antwerp  in  a  shop 
window,  which  directed  us  through  some  dirty, 
narrow  streets  to  the  other  end  of  the  town.  We 
therefore  quickened  our  steps,  expecting  to  see 
some  formidable  castle  or  invincible  fortress.  But 
all  that  appeared  was  a  white,  square,  peaceable 
looking  building,  on  the  top  of  a  green  bank. 
We  retraced  our  steps  and  .  .  .  started  in  a 
rickety  but  capacious  omnibus  for  the  railway 
station,  on  the  road  to  which  we  passed  some 
strong  fortifications  which  fully  made  up  for  the 
pacific  Citadel.  After  the  luggage  had  been  duly 
weighed  and  paid  for,  which  is  the  great  annoyance 
of  the  German  railways,  we  entered  the  train." 

This  was  a  long  and  tedious  day's  journey 
through  uninterrupted  rain  and  "  provokingly  Eng- 
lish "  scenery ;  very  pretty,  however,  between  Li£ge 
and  Vervier,  consisting  of  wooded  hills  and  rivers 
winding  in  a  picturesque  manner.  "  Passing  Tirle- 
mont,  Li£ge  and  Vervier,  we  arrived  at  the  Prussian 
frontier,  where  our  passports  were  demanded, 


180      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

with  the  assurance  that  we  should  find  them  at 
Aix-la-Chapelle,  at  which  station  we  soon  arrived. 
.  .  .  On  our  arrival  we  all  entered  an  omnibus, 
which  conveyed  us  through  the  dark  and  dirty 
streets  of  Cologne  to  the  Pariser  Hof.  .  .  ." 

It  is  perhaps  worth  while  to  give  the  young 
man's  first  impressions  of  Cologne  Cathedral. 

"  The  cathedral  or  Dom  is  an  elaborate  and 
magnificent  structure,  but  its  unfinished  state 
gives  it  the  appearance  of  some  ruin  of  ancient 
splendour,1  though  the  interior  is  more  entire, 
and  far  surpassed  my  highest  expectations.  I 
cannot,  however,  admire  the  taste  in  pursuance  of 
which  the  roof  is  gilded  and  painted  with  the 
brightest  frescoes.  This  style  does  not  suit  the 
purposes  of  the  building,  though  it  seems  in  accord- 
ance with  the  customs  and  ceremonies  of  the 
Catholics.  The  cathedral,  when  wre  visited  it, 
was  filled  with  people  attending  Mass,  which  added 
much  to  the  general  effect.  ..." 

It  was  in  Cologne  that  he  "  first  saw  a  specimen 
of  German  students,  who  are  easily  known  by  their 
short  red  beards,  outlandish  dress,  swaggering 

1  Cologne  Cathedral  was  far  from  complete  at  this  time.  The 
foundation-stone  of  the  newer  portions  had  been  laid  only  two 
years  before  by  Frederick  William  IV,  and  it  was  not  till  1880 
that  the  cathedral  took  the  complete  form  in  which  we  know  it 
to-day. 


A    TOUR    ON    THE    CONTINENT    181 

gait  and  unstudious  appearance  [Fig.  10].  The 
church  of  St.  Peter  was  the  next  object  to  be  seen, 
which  contains  Rubens 's  famous  altar-piece  of 
the  crucifixion  of  that  saint.  A  bad  copy  is 
exposed  to  view  over  the  altar,  which  on  paying 
a  small  fee  to  the  keeper  of  the  church  is  exchanged 
for  the  original.  We  now  returned  to  our  hotel, 
which  is  by  no  means  one  of  the  best  and  partakes 
of  the  odoriferous  quality  of  Cologne  in  general, 
where  every  man  has  a  pipe  in  his  mouth.  After 
dinner  we  walked  across  the  bridge  of  boats,1  and, 
the  evening  being  fine,  stayed  out  .  .  .  until 
darkness  began  to  close  in  upon  us.  Unfortunately 
we  missed  our  way,  which  gave  us  an  opportunity 
of  seeing  more  dirty  streets.  After  wandering 
about  in  perplexity  for  some  time,  we  asked  a 
man  with  a  napkin  in  his  hand  in  which  direction 
lay  our  hotel.  The  man  turned  out  to  be  the 
waiter,  who  said  we  were  close  by,  which  proved 
to  be  true.  ..." 

"  July  2Qth. — At  ten  in  the  morning  we  were 
on  board  the  steamer  bound  for  Coblentz  with 
the  aristocratic  family  as  our  fellow-passengers. 
The  moustached  member 2  had  exchanged  his 

1  At  that  time  the  bridge  of  boats  was  the  only  bridge  over  the 
Rhine  at  Cologne.  Another  bridge  on  the  site  of  the  present 
gigantic  Hohenzollern  railway  bridge  (opened  in  1910)  was  con- 
structed in  1855-9. 

1  At  this  period  moustaches  were  somewhat  unusual  among  the 
best  people  in  England,  the  more  fashionable  facial  decoration 
being  whiskers. 


182      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

glossy  black  hat  for  a  white  one  of  German  manu- 
facture, a  very  serviceable  article,  however,  and 
by  no  means  to  be  despised.  But  the  rain,  which 
descended  as  if  to  assert  its  right  of  free  passage 
on  board  the  Rhine  steamers,  soon  drove  our  hero 
into  the  cabin  or  '  Pavilion,'  for  such  is  the  name 
given  to  the  well-furnished  apartment  in  the  stern 
which  is  reserved  for  those  English  who  prefer  a 
high  to  a  low  price,  and  who  will  on  no  account 
travel  without  a  partition  between  themselves 
and  their  inferiors  in  wealth.  .  .  . 

And  now  commenced  our  long-expected  trip  up 
the  Rhine.  Now  were  we  to  trace  the  course  of 
that  majestic  river,  flowing  beneath  a  wooded  hill 
or  rocky  eminence  crowned  with  some  mouldering 
ruin  once  a  stately  castle.  Now  were  our  dreams 
of  foreign  beauties,  of  graceful  vineyards  and  a 
fresh,  clear  atmosphere  to  be  realized  ;  and  we  stood 
upon  the  damp  deck  to  feast  our  eyes  on  Rhenish 
magnificence.  But  the  idea  of  being  in  a  foreign 
land  required  some  imagination  on  the  part  of 
the  traveller,  for  English  faces  met  our  eye  on 
every  side,  and  our  native  language  proceeded 
from  the  mouths  of  all.  The  heavy  rain  served 
to  render  still  more  dismal  the  flat  and  dreary 
banks  of  the  river.  After  passing  Bonn  the 
scenery  improved,  and  the  fine  rock  of  the  Drachen- 
fels  frowned  upon  us  through  the  mist.  But  the 
ever-falling  rain  and  the  prospect  of  a  table  d'hote 
below  drove  us,  by  their  combined  influence,  into 
the  cabin,  where,  shutting  our  eyes  to  the  scenery 


A    TOUR    ON    THE    CONTINENT    183 

around,  we  consoled  ourselves  with  weak  soup  and 
sour  wine,  and  with  listening  to  an  old  lady  who 
was  expatiating  with  great  vehemence  on  the 
beauties  of  Father  Thames,  to  the  disparagement 
of  those  of  the  Rhine.  .  .  .  After  dinner  the 
scenery  gradually  improved,  but  not  so  the  weather, 
which  continued  black  and  threatening  until  we 
arrived  at  Coblentz,  when  down  fell  the  concluding 
shower,  intercepting  our  view  of  the  fortress  of 
Ehrenbreitstein.  .  .  .  " 

The  party  slept  the  night  at  Coblentz.  "  The 
next  day  was  a  complete  contrast  to  that 
which  preceded  it,  and  we  had  the  satisfaction 
of  beholding  the  scenery  in  all  its  beauty,  and  of 
expending  much  of  our  stock  of  superlatives  on 
the  ruined  towers  and  craggy  eminences  where 
they  are  not  disfigured  by  the  formal  and  unsightly 
vineyards.  The  character  of  the  Rhine  scenery 
has,  notwithstanding  its  beauty,  a  great  sameness, 
and  one  sketch  will  suffice  for  its  general  appearance. 
We  passed  many  interesting  spots,  and  at  the 
'  Mouse  Tower,'  where  Bishop  Hato  is  said  to 
have  been  devoured  by  rats,  we  took  leave  of 
the  beauties  of  the  Rhine,  for  here  the  river  widens 
and  the  banks  become  flat  and  uninteresting." 

The  party  landed  at  Bieberich  in  order  to  visit 
Wiesbaden,  whither  they  drove  in  a  "  clumsy  post- 
chaise."  The  gardens  at  Wiesbaden  are  described 
as  being  "  not  unlike  our  gardens  at  Chiswick  on 


184      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

a  fete  day."  "  Satisfied  with  what  we  had  seen," 
he  continues,  "  we  ensconced  ourselves  in  a  railway 
carriage,  and  were  soon  wafted  to  Mayence,  where, 
crossing  the  bridge  of  boats,  we  found  our  steamer 
with  our  luggage  safe,  and  taking  our  sacs  de  nuit, 
left  the  rest  of  the  luggage  on  board,  as  we  were 
to  continue  our  journey  by  the  same  boat  on  the 
morrow.  .  .  .  We  reached  Mannheim,  after  having 
contended  against  a  smart  breeze,  in  time  to  start 
for  Heidelberg  by  the  railway.  The  carriages  on  this 
line  are  remarkably  comfortable,  being  more  roomy 
than  usual,  and  containing  a  table  in  the  middle." 

It  is  perhaps  worth  while  to  quote  part  of  the 
notes  on  Heidelberg. 

"  The  town  is  situated  on  a  spot  where  Nature 
seems  to  have  exerted  all  her  powers  to  render  it 
cheerful  and  picturesque.  At  the  foot  of  a  wooded 
slope  lie  the  irregular  but  handsome  buildings  which 
form  this  curious  and  interesting  old  town.  Above 
them  the  ruined  castle  frowns  upon  the  gentle 
Neckar,  which  flows  smoothly  between  the  old 
town  and  the  woody  hill  closing  the  valley  on 
the  opposite  side.  .  .  .  The  University  and  the 
farm  where  the  students  fight  their  duels  having 
been  pointed  out  to  us,  we  returned  to  our  hotel. 
There  is  one  more  sight  worth  mentioning  here, 
namely  a  church,  half  of  which  is  appropriated 
to  the  Protestant  and  half  to  the  Catholic  service, 
a  remarkable  instance  of  religious  toleration. 


A    TOUR    ON    THE    CONTINENT    185 

Aug.  1. — The  railway,  which  runs  parallel  to 
the  4  Black  Mountains,'  among  which  Baden-Baden 
is  situated,  carried  us  to  Kehl,  where  our  luggage 
was  superficially  examined  by  the  French  custom- 
house officers J  and  whence  we  proceeded  by  omnibus 
to  Strasbourg,  on  the  opposite  shore  of  the  Rhine, 
and  arrived  at  the  Hotel  de  la  Ville  de  Paris  just 
in  time  for  the  five  o'clock  table  d'hote,  which 
was  served  up  with  all  the  French  attention  and 
subservience  to  the  palate.  On  entering  the  town 
of  Strasbourg,  our  passports  were  demanded  before 
we  passed  the  massive  fortifications,  which  called 
forth  our  admiration.  After  dinner  we  visited 
the  cathedral,  whose  spire  is  the  highest  in  the 
world,  being  400  feet,2  but  as  the  building  is 
so  encircled  with  houses,  it  is  difficult  to  believe 
its  real  height.  .  .  .  Our  attention  was  called  to 

1  Strasbourg,  as  part  of  Alsace,  was  then  (as  happily  it  now  is 
again)  part  of  France. 

*  It  is  not  quite  certain  whether  this  was  strictly  true  at  the 
time.  The  height  of  the  Strasbourg  tower  is  465  feet.  This  is 
beaten  by  the  iron  spire  on  the  centre  tower  of  Rouen  Cathedral 
(485  ft.),  which  was  added  during  restoration  subsequent  to  the  fire 
of  1822,  and  may  not  have  been  completed  at  the  time  we  are  con- 
sidering. The  following  buildings,  etc.,  of  greater  height  have 
been  completed  since  :  Nicholai  Kirche,  Hamburg  (1874),  472  feet ; 
Olai  Kirche,  Reval  (struck  by  lightning  for  the  ninth  time  in 
1820,  but  restoration  not  commenced  till  about  twenty  years 
later),  475  feet ;  Cologne  Cathedral  (see  p.  180),  515  feet ;  Ulm 
Cathedral  (completed  1890),  528  feet ;  Mole  Antonelliana,  Turin 
(not  commenced  till  1863),  536  feet ;  and  the  Eiffel  Tower,  Paris 
(1889),  985  feet.  There  are,  of  course,  also  various  structures  in 
America  over  500  feet  in  height,  and  of  late  years  masts  for  wireless 
telegraph  purposes  exceeding  800  feet  have  been  constructed. 


186      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

the  great  childish  clock^  which  tells  the  hours, 
days,  months,  etc.,  by  puppets  and  dancing  gim- 
cracks,  and  seems  to  be  considered  as  a  great 
wonder.  The  wonder  is,  however,  how  it  came 
to  be  placed  in  the  cathedral.  ...  At  two  o'clock 
the  next  day  we  were  in  Switzerland,  having 
travelled  from  London  to  Basle  by  steam  alone. 
The  Hotel  des  Trois  Rois,  where  we  were  quartered, 
is  a  new,  clean,  comfortable  house.  .  .  .  Before  the 
front  are  always  a  large  number  of  travelling 
carriages  drawn  up,  and  the  voituriers  to  whom 
they  belong  are  seen  lounging  about  the  door, 
waiting  for  hire,  or  gazing  listlessly  on  the 
three  painted  Kings  who  adorn  the  portico  with 
wooden  solemnity.1 

Basle  is  truly  a  smiling,  cheerful,  clean-looking 
town.  Its  picturesque  streets  and  quiet  English 
beauty,  its  interesting  cathedral  and  swiftly 
flowing  river,  render  it  an  attractive  halting-place 
for  the  traveller  in  Switzerland.  Behind  the 
cathedral  is  a  small  terrace  which  commands  the 
view  of  the  Rhine,  on  a  bend  of  which  the  town 
is  situated,  and  of  the  picturesque  bridge  which 

1  The  three  monarchs  in  question  are  believed  to  be  Rudolph  III, 
the  last  King  of  Burgundy  (993-1032) ;  his  nephew,  the  Emperor 
Henry  II,  whom  he  had  named  as  his  successor  ;  and  Conrad  II, 
into  whose  empire  the  kingdom  of  Burgundy  was  actually  incorpo- 
rated (Henry  having  predeceased  Rudolph).  The  legend  is  that 
these  three  met  in  the  eleventh  century  at  an  old  inn  on  the  site  of 
this  hotel,  but  it  is  obvious  they  were  not  all  three  reigning  at  the 
same  time. 

It  is  interesting  to  compare  this  account  of  Basle  with  that  of 
Mrs.  C.  Roget  in  1783. 


A    TOUR    ON    THE    CONTINENT    187 

connects  the  parts  of  the  town  on  opposite  sides 
of  the  river.  .  .  .  We  had  originally  intended 
proceeding  to  Geneva  by  Bienne  and  Neuchatel, 
but  as  there  seemed  to  be  a  good  chance  of  fine 
weather,  it  was  determined  to  strike  off  from 
Bienne  to  Berne  and  Fribourg,  and  thence  to 
Vevey  and  by  the  lake  to  Geneva.  We  therefore 
engaged  one  of  the  voituriers  who  was  loitering 
about  the  door,  and  whom  our  host  recommended 
as  civil  and  honest,  to  take  us  to  Vevey  in  four 
days.  We  had  reason  to  be  satisfied  with  our  choice, 
for  Samwel  Suter  (such  was  his  name)  turned  out 
to  be  an  active  and  obliging  young  fellow  and 
attentive  and  kind  to  his  horses.  His  voiture 
suited  us  well,  and  can  be  opened  or  closed  at 
pleasure.  .  .  .  He  wore  a  picturesque  white  pudding- 
basin  hat,  a  brown  jacket,  red  plush  waistcoat 
and  loose  trousers." 

It  is  not  necessary  to  follow  the  whole  journey 
in  detail.  The  route  followed  the  course  of  the 
River  Birs,  entering  the  canton  of  Berne  at  the 
village  of  Lauffen  and  proceeding  amid  more 
and  more  picturesque  scenery  through  the  Val 
Moutiers  (Miinster  Thai)  and  on  to  the  village  of 
Pavannes,  where  the  night  was  spent. 

44  We  rose  at  five  and  were  off  at  six,  in  compliance 
with  the  earnest  request  of  Samwel,  and  ascending 
for  a  quarter  of  a  mile  we  passed  through  the  Pierre 
Pertuis,  an  arch  in  the  rock  that  spans  the  road, 


188      TRAVEL   IN  TWO   CENTURIES 

bears  a  defaced  Roman  inscription  and  separates 
the  valley  of  the  Birs  from  that  of  the  Suze.  .  .  . 
At  Bienne,  the  horses  were  watered  and  then 
dragged  us  up  a  hill  whence  there  is  a  fine  view 
of  the  lake  and  town  of  Neuchatel 1  and  the  range 
of  the  Jura  beyond,  among  which  the  Chasseral 
and  the  Weissenstein  are  conspicuous. 

And  now  we  felt  we  were  really  in  Switzerland. 
One  by  one  we  perceived  the  characteristics  so 
often  spoken  of — the  picturesque  wooden  cottages 
with  their  carved  balconies  and  staircases  outside, 
the  peasants  with  quaint  costumes  (Fig.  11),  the 
industrious  women  with  their  broad-brimmed  hats. 
Everything  around  reminded  us  of  the  country  in 
which  we  were.  But  the  costumes,  though  quaint, 
are  not  always  to  be  admired,  especially,  I  think, 
in  the  canton  de  Berne,  where  they  seem  to  be 
generally  adopted.  The  working  dress  of  the 
women  is  usually  a  dark  blue  or  black,  but  on 
Sundays  and  particular  occasions  they  make  use 
of  brighter  colours  and  display  a  variety  of  ribbons, 
necklaces,  etc.  But  the  Bernese  costume  is  on  the 
whole  rather  the  reverse  of  picturesque,  and  its 
wearers  the  reverse  of  good-looking.  The  dress, 
however,  is  always  kept  very  neat,  and  the  shirt- 
sleeves which  the  women  wear  clean  and  well 
starched.  ...  At  Arberg  we  made  our  midday 
halt.  .  .  .  The  sun  had  now  driven  away  nearly 

1  It  must  have  brought  back  strange  feelings  to  Dr.  Roget  to 
behold,  after  all  these  years,  the  town  at  which,  in  1803,  he  had 
rejoined  his  pupils  after  his  escape  from  Geneva. 


A   TOUR    ON   THE    CONTINENT    189 

all  the  clouds,  excepting  those  near  the  horizon, 
behind  which  were  those  wonderful  objects  we 
were  all  straining  for  a  glimpse  of,  the  Bernese 
Alps.  I  had  been  always  told  that  those  who  see 
snow  mountains  for  the  first  time  generally  mistake 
them  for  clouds,  and  I  accordingly  expected  a  white, 
fleecy  appearance  on  the  horizon,  and  looked  eagerly 
at  the  distance  with  that  conviction  when  Samwel 
turned  round  and,  pointing  with  his  whip,  exclaimed 
*  Voila  les  glaciers  ' ;  but  it  was  some  time  before 
I  saw  them,  not  because  I  thought  them  clouds, 
but  because  I  looked  too  low,  for  there,  high  up 
among  the  clouds,  clear,  distinct,  with  outlines 
well  defined,  were  the  Bernese  Alps — not  the  whole 
range,  such  as  we  saw  them  since,  but  parts, 
detached,  struggling  to  be  seen  and  seeming 
not  to  belong  to  earth,  and,  by  the  im- 
perfect manner  in  which  they  appeared,  yet  more 
wonderful  and  more  difficult  to  believe  in.  ... 
After  traversing  a  hill,  covered  with  shady  firs, 
we  entered  the  town  of  Berne,  and  alighting  for 
a  moment  to  see  the  famous  bears  of  Berne, 
which  are  kept  in  a  pit  at  the  entrance  of  the 
town,  at  the  public  expense,1  proceeded  to  the 
Hotel  du  Faucon.  .  .  . 

Aug.  4. — There  is  a  certain  terrace  called  the 
Platform  high  above  the  River  Aare  whence  are 

1  Bears  have  been  kept  at  the  public  expense  at  Berne  ever  since 
1513,  but  the  bear  has  been  identified  with  the  town,  which  possibly 
takes  its  name  from  that  animal,  for  a  much  longer  period,  for  the 
bear  figures  in  the  earliest  known  seal  of  the  town  in  1224. 


190      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

seen  in  all  their  majesty  the  Oberland  Alps.1  .  .  . 
When  clouds  hang  over  the  horizon,  the  view  is 
bounded  by  a  chain  of  lofty  mountains,  far  different 
from  our  native  land.  But  when  the  clouds  ascend, 
new  forms  appear,  and  as  the  clouds  gradually 
clear  away,  another  chain  of  mountains  towering 
high  above  their  neighbours  becomes  visible, 
grander  in  form  and  standing  alone  in  undisputed 
superiority.  .  .  .  Berne  is  a  curious,  picturesque, 
interesting,  rickety  old  town,  whither  an  old 
antiquary  might  retire  from  the  busy  world  and 
end  his  days  in  peace;  a  town  of  which  a  rapid 
glance  makes  you  fond,  and  to  which  a  few  hours' 
acquaintance  makes  you  attached.  Berne  seems 
to  pride  itself  upon  its  arms,  which  are  a  little 
black  bear  walking  uphill  and  putting  out  its 
tongue,  for  stone  bears  are  to  be  met  with  at 
nearly  every  corner  and  effigies  of  the  same  favoured 
quadruped  are  painted  on  many  of  the  walls.  ..." 

The  description  of  the  famous  clock  is  amusing. 

"  At  twelve  o'clock  we  stationed  ourselves 
before  the  old  clock-tower  at  the  end  of  the  principal 
street,  in  order  to  hear,  or  rather  to  see,  the  clock 
strike ;  and  a  quaint  piece  of  antiquity  it  is. 
A  minute  before  the  hour,  a  puppet  dressed  as  a 
jester  strikes  a  bell,  and  immediately  a  procession 
of  bears  marches  in  great  solemnity  before  the 

1  Dr.  Roget,  with  his  mother,  had  enjoyed  the  view  sixty-one 
years  before,  but  had  not  been  to  Berne  since  (see  p.  35). 


A    TOUR    ON    THE    CONTINENT    191 

throne  of  a  wooden  king  with  a  long  beard,  who 
makes  known  the  hour  by  turning  an  hour-glass 
which  he  holds  in  one  hand  and  lowering  his 
sceptre  with  a  yawn  at  each  stroke,  and  the  per- 
formance ends  with  the  crowing  of  a  painted  cock 
which  is  perched  on  the  top.  This  is  an  amusing 
absurdity,  and  much  more  in  character  with  its 
situation  than  the  more  elaborate  and  less  antiquated 
puppet-show  clock  of  Strasbourg  Cathedral." I 

Leaving  Berne,  our  travellers  went  on  to  Fribourg, 
where  they  duly  admired  the  famous  organ  in  the 
cathedral,  and  continued  their  journey  next  day, 
making  their  noonday  halt  at  Bulle,  "  about  a 
mile  from  the  village  of  Gruyeres,  so  noted  for  the 
cheese  made  in  the  surrounding  valleys.  .  .  . 

After  the  picturesque  village  of  Chatel  St.  Denis, 
the  road  enters  the  canton  de  Vaud,  and  descending 
gradually,  gave  us  our  first  glimpse  of  the  lake  of 
Geneva.  The  blue  and  placid  lake  lay  at  the  foot 
of  lofty  mountains,  yet  with  graceful  outlines  and 
varied  tints ;  while  higher  eminences  crowned 
with  snow  towered  above  them  and  an  evening 
mist  arising  from  the  water  gave  a  hazy  softness 
to  the  whole.  .  .  .  The  horses  seemed  glad  to 
hear  Samwel's  crack  of  the  whip,  announcing  our 
approach  to  a  resting-place,  and  making  a  last 
effort,  they  dragged  us  at  a  rapid  pace  to  the  door 
of  the  Trois  Couronnes  Hotel  at  Vevey.  Just 
as  we  were  under  cover,  down  fell  the  predicted 

1  See  p.  186. 


192      TRAVEL  IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

rain,  accompanied  by  thunder  and  lightning.  .  .  . 
The  storm  continued  to  rage  wildly  among  the 
mountains,  rendering  the  lake,  before  so  calm  and 
tranquil,  troubled,  and  hurrying  about  the  blue 
waters  in  angry  waves. 

Far  along, 
From  peak  to  peak,  the  rattling  crags  among, 

Leaps  the  live  thunder.     Not  from  one  lone  cloud, 
But  every  mountain  now  hath  formed  a  tongue, 
And  Jura  answers,  through  her  misty  shroud, 
Back  to  the  joyous  Alps,  who  call  to  her  aloud  ! 

Byron." 

The  journey  to  Geneva  was  made  by  steamer  on 
the  lake. 

"  After  passing  Morges,  Rolle  and  Coppet,  Geneva 
appeared  in  sight,  and  increasing  slowly  as  we 
approached,  at  length  received  us  o  its  quay, 
whence  we  were  conducted  across  a  bridge  to  the 
Hotel  des  Bergues.  This  gigantic  establishment 
is  situated  in  the  most  lively  part  of  the  town 
on  the  northern  shore,  where  the  lake  pours  itself 
into  the  River  Rhone." 

Geneva  has  figured  in  several  of  the  journeys 
described  in  this  volume  and  is  indissolubly  con- 
nected with  the  Roget  family.  In  view  of  the 
events  of  1803,  it  must  have  been  with  extra- 
ordinary interest  that  the  young  man  beheld  the 
city  for  the  first  time.  He  sums  up  his  first 
impressions  as  follows  : — 


A    TOUR    ON   THE    CONTINENT    193 

"  The  town  of  Geneva  combines  in  a  remarkable 
degree  beauty  of  situation  with  local  interest. 
On  the  shore  of  the  calm  and  pure  lake,  its  houses 
are  reflected  in  the  clear  blue  water  and  are  washed 
by  the  waves  of  the  swift  Rhone,  which  rushed 
through  it  as  though  rejoicing  in  its  might.  On  one 
side  is  the  mighty  range  of  the  Jura,  and  on  the 
other  the  lofty  heights  of  Savoy  surround  their  chief, 
the  great  monarch  of  mountains.  The  town  itself, 
so  long  distinguished  for  the  list  of  great  men  it 
has  produced,  still  retains  its  peaceful  and  indus- 
trious appearance.  The  array  of  good  hotels  and 
clean  white  houses  which  surround  the  quay  fills 
the  traveller  who  arrives  by  the  lake  with  pleasing 
anticipations,  and,  like  a  well-worded  preface, 
increases  his  desire  of  perusing  what  is  to  follow. 

There  is,  however,  a  curious  mixture  of  good 
modern  buildings  with  ruinous  and  irregular  houses 
of  an  earlier  date.  Thus  the  Rhone,  after  issuing 
from  the  lake  and  making  way  for  the  little 
He  de  Rousseau,  meets  with  an  obstruction  in  its 
impetuous  course,  a  picturesque  pile  of  irregular 
buildings,  which  compels  it  to  divide  its  fury,  and 
it  rushes  past  in  two  separate  streams,  which 
again  unite  at  the  further  side  of  the  town  and 
continue  their  way  till  joined  by  the  cold  and 
muddy  Arve,  fresh  from  its  source  among  the 
glaciers.  These  two  rivers,  one  clear  and  of  a 
deep  blue,  the  other  thick  and  of  a  muddy  white, 
refuse  to  mix  their  waters,  and  pursue  their  course 
for  a  considerable  distance  after  their  confluence 

13 


194      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

with  a  distinct  boundary  line  between  them, 
separating  the  two  colours  in  a  very  remarkable 
manner.  The  situation  of  the  confluence  is  also 
very  pretty,  and  forms  a  pleasant  drive  from 
Geneva. 

Geneva  is  surrounded  by  fortifications  which 
are  now  used  as  promenades,  and  is  entered  by 
three  gates :  the  Porte  de  Rive,  on  the  south ; 
the  Porte  neuve,  to  the  west ;  and  the  Porte 
Cornavin,  to  the  north.  .  .  .  The  varied  pile  of 
buildings  of  which  Geneva  is  composed  is  crowned 
by  the  Eglise  de  St.  Pierre,  situated  on  the  highest 
spot  in  the  town.  This  church  or  cathedral  is 
very  simple  in  its  architecture,  but  its  two  square 
towers  have  a  picturesque  appearance  among  the 
surrounding  houses.1  The  view  from  a  broad 
avenue  called  the  Treille  at  the  back  of  the  town 
is  very  pleasing.  Below  lie  the  Botanic  Gardens, 
the  scene  of  many  a  deed  of  bloodshed  and  cruelty 
in  former  times,  but  now  a  peaceful  promenade. 
Beyond  the  fortifications  a  well-cultivated  plain 
stretches  away  from  the  black  Jura  on  the  right 
to  the  precipitous  Saleve  on  the  left.  These  rich 
materials,  illuminated  by  a  setting  sun,  form  a 
charming  prospect.  .  .  . 

Most   of  our  friends   in   Geneva  were  at  their 

1  The  iron  spire,  which  is  now  a  conspicuous  feature  of  the 
cathedral,  had  not  then  been  added.  The  cathedral  was  originally 
built  in  1034,  but  during  the  succeeding  centuries  was  several 
times  damaged  by  fire.  The  successive  restorations  present  examples 
of  various  styles,  not  all  quite  in  keeping  with  one  another,  and 
including  a  Corinthian  portico  added  in  1752. 


A    TOUR    ON    THE    CONTINENT    195 

campagnes  (or  country  residences)  on  the  banks  of 
the  lake,  so  we  had  several  opportunities  of  visiting 
the  environs  of  Geneva.  .  .  .  There  is  much  good 
society  in  Geneva  in  the  winter,  when  the  inhabi- 
tants have  returned  to  their  town  houses,  and 
some  gaiety,  though,  by  one  of  the  old  laws,  dancing 
is  forbidden  after  twelve  o'clock.  The  dinners 
afford  a  great  variety  of  dishes  and  an  endless 
number  of  different  kinds  of  wine.  The  gentlemen 
do  not  remain  at  table  after  the  ladies  have  retired, 
but  give  them  their  arms  into  the  drawing-room. 
Dinner  parties  are  as  early  as  three  or  four  o'clock, 
whence  another  meal  is  introduced  called  a  goute, 
which  consists  of  tea,  coffee,  and  rich  cakes  and 
pastry.  These  sometimes  form  rather  a  sickening 
combination.  We  were  invited  one  morning  to  a 
breakfast  with  our  cousin,  M.  Roget,  at  his  campagne 
near  Coligny.1  The  proceedings  commenced  with 
soup  and  fish,  meat,  etc.,  wine  and  fruit — 
indeed,  a  complete  dinner.  After  all  this,  coffee, 
tea,  toast,  honey,  etc.,  enough  to  last  for  a 

1  From  fuller  particulars,  in  a  diary,  we  learn  that  this  was 
quite  a  family  gathering.  The  M.  Roget  referred  to  was  M.  Philippe 
Je"remic  Roget  (a  second  cousin  of  Dr.  Roget).  His  wife  and  two 
sons,  David  and  Louis,  and  two  daughters,  Caroline  and  Julie, 
were  present.  Another  branch  of  the  family  was  represented  by 
Professor  Jaques  Francois  Roget  (Professor  of  History  at  Geneva 
University),  also  a  second  cousin  of  Dr.  Roget,  with  his  wife  and 
two  of  his  sons,  Eugene  and  Philippe.  The  last  mentioned  was 
the  father  of  Professor  F.  F.  Roget,  now  living  in  Geneva,  who  is 
well  known  in  this  country  as  a  writer  and  lecturer.  There  was 
at  this  time  no  representative  of  Dr.  Roget's  own  branch  of  the 
family  then  living  in  Geneva. 


196      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

week.     After   breakfast,    a   pleasant   row    on   the 
lake  occupied  the  rest  of  the  morning." 

We  will  not  dwell  further  on  the  occupations  of 
the  party  during  their  ten  days'  stay  in  Geneva. 
They  finally  left  on  August  19th  at  four  in  the 
morning  by  carriage  en  route  for  Chamonix. 

''  The  road  for  some  distance  we  had  before 
traversed  in  our  ascent  of  the  Saleve,  but  con- 
tinuing to  the  left,  we  entered  the  Sardinian 
territory.1  At  the  frontier,  our  bags  were  opened, 
and  the  officer  appeared  particularly  interested 
in  the  perusal  of  my  diary,  which  he  no  doubt 
thought  was  some  heretical  tract  or  other.  After 
this  ceremony,  and  a  short  delay  for  the  examina- 
tion of  passports,  we  continued  our  route  through 
scenery  of  a  most  varied  character,  until  the  village 
of  Cluse  appeared  at  the  entrance  of  a  narrow 
gorge.  Cluse,  according  to  Murray,  was  inhabited 
by  a  numerous  and  industrious  set  of  men,  and 
was  famed  for  its  manufacture  of  watches.  But 
now  the  face  of  all  things  was  changed  :  nearly 
the  whole  town  had  been  destroyed  by  a  fire,  and 
nothing  was  seen  but  whole  streets  of  blackened 
walls  and  remnants  of  once  happy  homes ;  while 
here  and  there  a  houseless  female  wandered  through 
the  deserted  streets  or  a  group  of  ragged  children 
sat  among  the  ruins  in  helpless  idleness.  The 
carriage  rattled  quickly  past  the  crumbling  inn, 

1  At  that  time  the  kingdom  of  Sardinia  included  Savoy. 


A    TOUR    ON   THE    CONTINENT    197 

where  once  it  had  been  welcomed,  past  the  heaps 
of  rubbish  and  neglected  gardens,  till  a  turn  in  the 
road  hid  us  from  the  melancholy  sight,  and  attracted 
our  attention  to  the  firm  rocks  of  nature,  which 
stand  unaltered,  age  after  age,  while  generations 
pass  away  and  human  habitations  crumble  into 
dust.  .  .  .  We  soon  found  ourselves  at  St.  Martin, 
where  we  dismissed  our  carriage,  as  the  road  becomes 
too  rough  and  narrow  for  any  conveyance  but  a 
char-a-banc.  .  .  .  We  continued  our  journey  in  two 
of  these.  The  char-a-banc  is  a  kind  of  one-sided  boat 
on  wheels,  and  carries  two,  or  in  an  emergency  three 
persons.  It  is  unprovided  with  springs,  and  is  conse- 
quently a  very  rough  conveyance.  Two  horses  being 
attached  to  each,  we  rattled  away  over  a  stony  road 
surrounded  by  stunted  trees  and  fragments  of  rock 
till  we  arrived  at  the  foot  of  a  steep  ascent,  where- 
upon I  jumped  out  and  commenced  walking.  .  .  . 

On  our  arrival  at  Chamonix,  we  found  that  Mr.  P. 
had  succeeded  in  obtaining  beds  for  us  at  the 
Hotel  du  Nord,  a  building  which  is  used  to  receive 
the  overplus  of  travellers  from  the  Hotel  de  1'Union. 
The  influx  of  travellers  was  so  great  that  all  the 
hotels  were  soon  completely  filled,  and  many  were 
obliged  to  put  up  with  makeshift  accommodation, 
such  as  whole  families  sleeping  in  one  room,  straw 
supplying  the  place  of  beds,  and  eight  persons  were 
reported  to  have  slept  upon  a  billiard  table." 

Guides  were  duly  engaged  for  the  mountain 
excursions  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  one  of  them 


198      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

turned  out  to  be  a  relative  of  the  great  Balmat, 
who  had  accompanied  Dr.  Roget  forty-one  years 
before,  and  the  other  a  son  of  Couttez,  who  had 
been  one  of  De  Saussure's  guides.  It  is  unnecessary 
to  detail  these  excursions  over  mountain  regions 
now  well  known  to  many,  and  the  party  did  not 
attempt  any  very  serious  climbing.  It  is  perhaps 
worth  while  to  give  Mr.  Roget's  first  impressions 
of  the  Mer  de  Glace.  Describing  the  view  from 
the  little  inn  of  the  Montanvert,  he  writes  : — 

"  We  were  still  in  the  region  of  vegetation  ;  a 
few  withered  pines  struggle  for  existence  among 
the  chilling  blasts  of  the  icy  atmosphere.  But 
the  withered  pines  serve  but  as  a  foreground,  for 
not  a  tree  is  to  be  found  on  the  bare  rocks  which 
form  the  leading  features  of  the  view.  Nothing  is 
to  be  seen  but  rugged  outlines  and  craggy  preci- 
pices, short  aiguilles  and  field  of  snow ;  a  vast 
valley  winding  between,  and  paved  with  blocks 
of  ice  as  though  a  wide  river  had  been  agitated 
into  mighty  waves  and  suddenly  frozen.  This  is 
the  Mer  de  Glace.  Wonderful  indeed  must  these 
scenes  have  appeared  to  those  who  first  beheld 
them,  and  no  wonder  that  these  mountains  were 
so  long  shunned  and  dreaded  as  the  montaignes 
maudites.  When  we  had  gazed  long  at  the  dreary 
scene  we  resumed  our  alpenstocks  and  began  to 
descend  a  steep  path  which  brought  us  to  a  level 
with  the  glacier.  The  ladies  being  provided  each 
with  the  sure  arm  of  a  guide  and  the  gentlemen 


A    TOUR    ON    THE    CONTINENT    199 

trusting  to  their  alpenstocks,  we  set  foot  upon  the 
ice,  and  I  found  it  much  easier  to  walk  upon  than 
I  had  imagined,  for  the  surface,  though  uneven, 
has  a  roughness  which  often  prevents  the  foot 
from  slipping.  The  ice  is  of  the  purest  white,  but 
the  deep  fissures  or  crevasses  are  of  a  beautiful 
blue  colour.  ..." 

The  party  left  Chamonix  on  August  23rd  for 
Martigny  via  the  Tete  Noire,  most  of  the  party 
on  mule-back,  but  it  is  recorded  in  Mr.  Roget's 
diary  that  he  "  rode  a  mule  for  five  minutes,  but 
did  not  like  it." 

On  the  following  day  : — 

"  The  project  was  to  go  to  the  Grand  St.  Bernard, 
sleep  at  the  hospice,  and  return  the  next  morning. 
The  landlord  promised  us  fine  weather,  so  we 
.  .  .  started  in  a  char-a-banc  drawn  by  two  mules, 
who  were  to  serve  as  beasts  of  draught  the  first 
part  of  the  journey  and  then,  when  the  path  is 
no  longer  practicable  for  chars,  to  carry  our  ladies 
on  their  backs.  ...  At  Liddes,  a  small  village 
high  in  the  mountains,  we  alighted  for  refreshment. 
Here  the  road  becomes  impracticable  even  for 
chars-a-bancs,  and  the  mules  which  had  been 
drawing  us  were  accordingly  fitted  with  side- 
saddles. Just,  however,  as  we  entered  the  house, 
down  fell  a  most  unsatisfactory  quantity  of  rain,  and 
we  began  to  feel  that  were  we  on  an  unsheltered 


200     TRAVEL  IN  TWO  CENTURIES 

pass  just  at  that  time  we  should  not  be  as 
well  off  as  we  at  present  were.  However,  we  did 
not  let  any  anticipations  of  the  future  prevent  us 
from  enjoying  the  comforts  of  the  present,  but 
did  ample  justice  to  some  homely  fare  which  our 
landlady,  an  ancient  dame  with  about  as  much 
ribbon  on  her  head  as  would  have  trimmed  half 
a  dozen  ordinary  caps,  set  before  us  and  dignified 
with  the  name  of  dejeuner  a  la  fourchette.  .  .  . 
At  another  table  were  seated  two  young  French- 
men who  .  .  .  had  just  arrived  from  the  hospice. 
They  gave  a  most  chilling  description  of  their 
walk,  and  described  the  delights  of  wading  through 
snow  and  of  raindrops  freezing  upon  their  dress. 
The  hospice  being  completely  enveloped  in  a 
cloud,  they  were  totally  ignorant  of  its  form, 
situation  and  general  appearance.  They  ended  by 
advising  us  most  strongly  not  to  proceed.  We 
were,  however,  extremely  loath  to  give  up  an 
expedition  on  which  we  had  counted  for  so  long 
a  time,  and  we  determined  to  wait  and  see  whether 
the  weather  was  resolved  to  spite  us  ...  but 
nothing  was  to  be  seen  but  rain,  rain,  rain.  ..." 

In  the  end  the  party  deemed  it  advisable 
neither  to  proceed  nor  to  return,  and  slept  the 
night  where  they  were,  returning  to  Martigny  the 
next  morning,  "  though  the  accommodation  was 
none  of  the  best,  and  the  ladies  were  loud  in  their 
invectives  against  the  minute  disturbers  of  their 
rest." 


A   TOUR    ON   THE   CONTINENT    201 

From  Martigny  our  travellers   proceeded   along 
the  straight  road  up  the  Rhone  Valley. 

"  Our  first  stage  was  at  Riddes,  where  we  pro- 
cured another  voiture  and  proceeded  on  our  way 
towards  Sion.  As  the  evening  was  to  bring  us  to 
the  Baths  of  Loesche,  preparatory  to  crossing  the 
Gemmi  into  the  Oberland,  we  had  not  much  time 
to  see  the  places  through  which  we  passed.  I 
much  regretted  not  seeing  more  of  Sion,  as  I  think 
it  the  most  picturesque  town  I  have  ever  seen. 
Two  broken  rocks  rise  precipitately  from  the 
plain.  Round  these  the  town  is  built,  and  upon 
them  towers  are  constructed  which  add  to  the 
natural  beauty  of  the  bare  rock.  .  .  .  Our  next 
stage  was  at  Sierre,  where  we  rested  while  mules 
were  prepared  to  take  us  up  to  the  baths.  .  .  . 
We  were  at  length  told  that  the  mules  were  ready, 
of  which  we  had  ordered  four,  to  carry  the  two 
ladies,  my  father  and  the  luggage.  Two  of  the 
animals,  however,  turned  out  to  be  ponies,  and 
the  remaining  two  possessed  much  more  of  the 
donkey's  than  of  the  horse's  nature.  That  which 
carried  the  luggage  immediately  evinced  a  desire 
not  to  move;  then  the  luggage  evinced  a  desire 
to  move  by  itself  and  to  slide  gradually  off.  Then 
the  chief  guide  began  to  talk  a  mixture  of  French, 
German  and  I  don't  know  what,  and  all  the  rest 
to  talk  a  mixture  of  totally  unknown  ingredients. 
However,  we  did  start  somehow  or  other,  in  a 
manner  which  was,  I  suppose,  satisfactory  to  the 


202      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

guides,  for  they  manifested  their  satisfaction  by 
calling  out  to  one  another  at  the  top  of  their 
voices,  sometimes  uttering  articulate  sounds  and 
sometimes  making  unearthly  yells.  The  road  .  .  . 
soon  ascends,  leaving  the  village  of  Loesche,  or 
Leuk,  on  the  right,  and  continues  to  wind  up  the 
mountain  until  high  above  the  valley.  A  sharp 
turn  brought  us  to  the  brink  of  a  lofty  precipice, 
down  which  we  descended  by  a  narrow  winding 
path,  with  nothing  but  a  crazy  wooden  railing 
between  us  and  the  gulf  below.  The  path  again 
ascends  a  hill  covered  with  pine-trees,  and  then 
wanders  on  over  rugged  ground,  now  and  then 
affording  a  glimpse  of  a  mountain  village  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  ravine,  looking  more  like  a 
swarm  of  bees  than  a  collection  of  houses.  .  .  . 
We  went  journeying  on  in  this  manner  until  dark- 
ness began  to  close  in  around  us.  But  as  the  shades 
of  evening  began  to  heighten  the  romantic  beauty 
of  the  objects  around  us,  the  scenery  became  more 
and  more  grand.  Before  us  rose  a  dark  and  frown- 
ing precipice,  which  seemed  to  increase  on  our 
approach  and  to  expand  on  either  side  until  we  were 
almost  encircled  by  the  rocky  barrier  ;  and  then  at 
length  the  lights  which  indicated  the  situation  of 
the  baths  welcomed  us  to  their  savage  home." 

Here,  unfortunately,  the  full  account  breaks 
off,  but  from  a  diary  in  a  briefer  form  we  are 
able  to  trace  the  general  course  of  the  remainder 
of  the  tour. 


A    TOUR    ON    THE    CONTINENT    203 

With  four  mules  and  three  guides,  one  of  whom 
was  a  woman  who  acted  as  interpreter,  the  party 
set  out  across  the  Gemmi.  Unfortunately,  the 
female  guide  was  struck  by  a  piece  of  falling  rock 
and  injured.  She  was  left  in  charge  of  two  priests 
who  happened  to  be  on  the  road.  Staying  at 
Kandersteg,  they  proceeded  to  Interlaken,  Grindle- 
wald,  Meiringen  and  Lucerne,  and  over  the  St. 
Gothard  via  Faido  to  Mogadino  (at  the  head  of 
Lake  Maggiore).  A  few  extracts  from  the  diary 
relating  to  the  journey  from  Mogadino  to  Sesto 
Calende  (at  the  south  end  of  the  lake)  and  on  to 
Milan  may  be  given.  They  do  not  show  very 
favourable  first  impressions  of  Italy. 

"  12th  August. — Poured  with  rain  the  whole 
day.  Started  by  steamer  at  seven.  I  stood  on 
deck  with  mackintosh  and  umbrella  all  the  time, 
but  saw  very  little.  Borromean  Islands,  ugly, 
built-up  things.  Colossal  statue  close  to  a  house 
near  Arona.  I  don't  like  it.  Arrived  at  Sesto  at 
about  half-past  twelve.  Captain  told  us  that  all 
the  luggage  would  go  to  the  custom  house,  so  we 
landed  in  a  boat,  and  giving  our  passports,  ate 
some  dinner,  having  previously  taken  places  in 
the  velocifer1  for  Milan.  After  dinner  we  went  to 
the  custom  house  to  open  our  bags,  but  found  the 
steamboat  had  taken  them  off  to  Mogadino. 
Obliged  to  sleep  at  the  dirty  inn  to  wait  for  our 
luggage.  Took  a  little  walk  in  the  dirty  town, 

1  Diligence. 


204     TRAVEL  IN  TWO  CENTURIES 

tea  in  the  dirty  salle,  and  bed  in  our  dirty  bed- 


rooms." 


The  next  morning  the  luggage  turned  up,  and 
the  journey  was  continued  by  the  diligence  to 
Milan. 

"  Dull,  tedious  road  ;  diligence  very  slow,  but 
quick  on  entering  villages.  Post-boys  got  off  to 
gather  nuts.  Arrived  at  Milan  at  about  nine. 
They  took  our  passports.  Got  man  to  take  our 
luggage  to  inn.  .  .  .  Went  to  six  hotels  and  all 
full  but  last,  where  we  obtained  beds.  My  father 
and  I  sleeping  in  the  salle- d-manger.  Beds  cost 
25  francs  for  the  night.  The  Italians  are  all 
cheats  !  " 

It  is  recorded  that  the  next  morning  they  found 
quarters  at  another  hotel  for  12  francs  each. 
Dr.  Roget  met  a  number  of  friends  in  Milan  who 
were  attending  a  scientific  meeting  then  being 
held.  It  is  not  necessary  to  dwell  upon  the 
sightseeing  and  entertainments  enjoyed  in  Milan, 
but  the  following  note  on  a  dance  is  amusing : — 

"  Magnificent  rooms,  gardens  illuminated.  About 
1,500  people.  We  had  to  pay  for  the  ices.  Grand 
Duchess  and  five  Princes  came.  Dancing  com- 
menced; two  good  military  bands,  one  in  garden, 
one  in  ballroom.  No  one  was  allowed  to  waltz 
at  the  same  time  as  the  Princes,  who  are  great 


A    TOUR    ON    THE    CONTINENT    205 

sticks  and  reminded  one  of  the  puppets.  The 
dances  were  the  Waltzer,  danced  even  faster  than 
in  England,  and  the  Contradanza  Francese,  which 
is  nothing  but  a  quadrille  interspersed  with  bows. 
They  walk  the  quadrilles.  The  gentlemen  wear 
white  and  even  coloured  trousers ;  white  neck- 
cloths rather  in  the  minority." 

The  party  left  Milan  on  August  20th.  Travel- 
ling once  more  by  railway  (they  had  not  been 
on  a  railway  since  arriving  at  Basle)  to  Monza, 
they  took  the  diligence  to  Como  and  steamboat 
to  Cadenabbia,  and  here  it  is  satisfactory  to  find 
that,  notwithstanding  his  first  bad  impression  of 
the  Italian  lakes,  the  diarist  is  emphatic  in  his 
praise  of  the  scenery.  The  return  through  Switzer- 
land, which  need  not  be  described  in  detail,  was 
made  via  Chiavenna  (taking  steamer  as  far  as 
Colico),  the  Splugen,  Ragatz  (where  they  visited 
the  hot  springs  of  Pfeffers),  and  Zurich.  Thence 
the  diligence  took  them  to  Schaffhausen,  where 
a  halt  was  made  to  see  the  falls  of  the  Rhine.  A 
voiturier  was  engaged  to  take  them  on  via  Waldshut 
to  Basle.  As  showing  the  speed  of  railway  travel 
in  those  days,  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  the 
travellers  left  Basle  by  train  at  11  a.m.  and  arrived 
at  Strasbourg  at  five,  "  just  in  time  for  the  table 
d'hote."  1  The  railway  journey  was  continued 
next  day  from  Kehl,  which  was  reached  by  omnibus, 

1  Just  before  the  war  this  journey  could  be  performed  in  under 
two  hours, 


206      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

and  where  the  customs  were  passed  on  entering 
Germany.  The  diary  again  remarks  :  "  Beautiful 
carriages,  very  wide  and  deep,  with  a  table." 
Proceeding  by  this  comfortable  train  to  Mannheim, 
the  party  went  on  by  boat  down  the  Rhine  to 
Cologne,  whence  they  started  in  a  train  "  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  long,  very  slow,"  for  Brussels.  After 
a  day  in  Brussels,  they  proceeded  by  train  to 
Ostend,  seeing  a  little  of  Bruges  by  the  way. 
The  voyage  from  Ostend  to  Dover  is  described 
as  follows  :— 

"  Started  at  half-past  eight  in  the  mail  steamer. 
Boat  very  small  and  sailed  slowly.  Came  to  rough 
water  immediately.  .  .  .  Ladies  very  sick.  .  .  . 
Passage  nine  and  a  half  hours.1  Arrived  at  Dover 
at  six.  Left  luggage  on  board  and  went  to  Ship 
Hotel.  Discovered  that  the  Boulogne  boat  had 
arrived  just  before  us,  so  could  not  get  our  luggage 
from  custom  house  for  two  hours.  Gave  our  keys 
to  Mr.  Birmingham,  the  commissionnaire,  who  got  us 
our  luggage,  and  I  believe  saved  us  some  expense 
in  duties." 

The  journey  to  London  next  day  (September  7th) 
was  made  by  train,  and  the  diary  remarks  :  "  Ex- 
traordinary railway — long  tunnels."  The  route 
seems  to  have  been  Folkestone,  Tonbridge,  Reigate 
and  Croydon  to  London  Bridge.  In  this  con- 

1  The  passage,  in  favourable  weather,  now  occupies  about  three 
hours. 


A    TOUR    ON    THE    CONTINENT    207 

nection  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  South- 
Eastern  Railway  was  opened  on  February  6th  of 
that  very  year  (1844),  and  was  then  the  only  line 
from  Dover  to  London,  as  the  London,  Chatham 
and  Dover  Railway,  with  which  it  is  now  amal- 
gamated, was  not  opened  till  1860.  The  final 
entry  in  the  diary  is  :  "  Hackney-coach  home." 


CHAPTER  IX 

1851  : 

A  WALKING  TOUR   IN   THE  EIFEL  AND 
MOSELLE   DISTRICTS 

SEVEN  years  later,  Mr.  J.  L.  Roget,  who 
in  the  meantime  had  completed  his  studies 
at  Cambridge  and  was  now  following  the  pro- 
fession of  the  law  at  Lincoln's  Inn,  took  a 
short  trip  on  the  Continent,  of  which  he  has 
left  a  detailed  account.  This  time  the  cir- 
cumstances were  somewhat  different,  as  this  was 
principally  a  walking  tour  with  two  friends,  and 
it  embraced  some  less  well-known  districts  in 
the  regions  of  the  volcanic  hills  of  the  Eifel  and 
the  banks  of  the  River  Moselle.  We  are  fortu- 
nate to  be  able  to  illustrate  the  account  with 
examples  of  Mr.  Roget's  skill  as  an  artist  by 
reproducing  a  few  sketches  from  his  ever-ready 
pen  and  pencil. 

As  in  1844,  the  crossing  was  made  from  London 
to  Antwerp,  starting  on  August  30th.  As  to 
the  journey  out,  Mr.  Roget  writes  :  "  We  had  a 
very  tolerable  passage  from  London,  but  the  late 
stormy  weather  left  an  unpleasant  swell  behind, 


IN    THE    EIFEL    AND    MOSELLE     209 

which  made  me  a  little  seasick  in  the  evening. 
We  soon  gave  up  our  intention  of  crossing  in  the 
fore-cabin.  I  passed  the  night  on  deck,  where 
we  stretched  mattresses,  and  with  the  aid  of  my 
rug  and  a  thick  cloak,  borrowed  from  a  friend, 
managed  to  keep  myself  warm,  and  to  sleep  com- 
fortably until  suddenly  awakened  by  a  brilliant 
rocket  sent  up  close  to  my  ear  as  a  sign  for  a 
pilot  to  take  us  up  the  Scheldt.  Towards  morning 
the  weather  became  colder  and  the  sky  overcast, 
and  when  we  reached  Antwerp  the  rain  was 
descending  very  steadily."  During  a  look  round 
the  town  the  trio  visited  the  museum,  which, 
he  says,  "  we  ought  certainly  to  have  visited  in 
our  tour  of  1844.  The  Rubenses  are  magnificent. 
...  A  great  number  of  bearded  little  artists, 
in  blue  frocks  and  dirty  linen,  were  standing  on 
steps  and  copying  the  finest  pictures.  We  walked 
through  the  beautiful  Bourse,  which  was  just 
then  crowded  with  merchants  coming  on  'change. 
Our  strange  appearance  in  odd-looking  caps  and 
wet  coats  dripping  about  the  cloisters  seemed  to 
attract  the  attention  of  the  honest  men  of  the 
commercial  interest.  .  .  .  We  again  started,  knap- 
sacks in  hand,  to  the  railway  station,  where  we 
arrived  long  before  the  train  started,  as  we  had 
allowed  time  for  losing  our  way.  We  accordingly 
seated  ourselves  in  the  third-class  waiting-room, 
which  room  became  filled  with  Belgian  soldiers, 
who  seemed  as  boyish  in  their  manners  as  in 
their  appearance.  One,  who  was  in  a  somewhat 

14 


210      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

4  glorious '  state,  entertained  the  company  with 
theatrical  recitations  and  French  revolutionary 
songs  (so  far  as  we  could  make  out).  The  train 
started,  and  we  whirled  along,  packed  pretty 
tightly  with  our  noisy  little  warriors,  who,  however, 
left  us  at  Malines,  before  which  the  vinous  (or 
perhaps  beery)  youth  had  roared  himself  to  sleep." 
There  is  no  need  to  dwell  upon  the  halt  at  Brussels 
nor  the  railway  journey  on  to  Liege,  where  the 
little  party  proceeded  another  five  miles  in 
the  train  to  Chaudfontaine,  where  they  spent  the 
night  of  September  2nd.  It  had  originally  been 
intended  to  walk  to  Chaudfontaine  from  Liege, 
but  this  was  prevented  by  rain. 

On  the  following  day  they  "  left  Chaudfontaine 
in  the  rain  at  seven,  and  travelled  by  railway 
to  Pepinster,  whence  an  omnibus  took  us  through 
a  succession  of  very  pretty  valleys  and  some 
picturesque  villages  to  Spa,1  where  we  break- 
fasted. We  set  off  with  our  knapsacks  on  our 
backs  for  Malmedy.  The  road  ascends  for  four 
miles  and  crosses  a  large  moor,  from  which,  how- 
ever, is  an  extensive  panorama,  very  like  those 
from  the  high  ground  in  Devonshire,  the  views 
being  coloured  by  patches  of  sunshine  in  many 
places.  On  crossing  the  Prussian  frontier  we 
asked  whether  our  luggage  was  to  be  '  visited,' 
but  were  told  that  the  authorities  at  Malmedy 

1  Spa  became  famous  later  on  as  the  German  headquarters 
during  part  of  the  Great  War  and  the  scene  of  various  Conferences 
afterwards. 


IN    THE    EIFEL    AND    MOSELLE    211 

would  see  to  that.  No  one,  however,  did  ask  for 
either  passport  or  baggage,  which  was  rather 
extraordinary.  Malmedy  [see  Fig.  12]  is  a  pictur- 
esque town,  famous  for  shoeleather  and  smelling 
of  tanpits.  It  is  prettily  situated  amongst  green 
valleys,  and  the  clean,  well-appointed  houses  of 
the  tanners  give  a  lively  appearance  to  the 
suburbs.  The  inhabitants  seem  very  civil  people, 
and  the  children  are  charming."  On  account  of 
the  bad  weather  the  continuation  of  the  journey 
to  Hillesheim  was  made  "  cooped  up  in  the 
Schnellpost"  through  Butgenbach,  Losheim  and 
Stadt  Kyll. 

"  The  diligence  was  comfortable  enough,  being 
much  more  roomy  than  the  English  stage-coaches, 
the  chief  difference  consisting  in  the  atmosphere 
in  the  former  being  somewhat  thick  with  tobacco 
smoke,  in  consequence  of  the  number  of  pipes 
usually  at  work  therein.  There  was  but  little  to 
see  on  the  road,  the  country  being  very  dreary 
nearly  the  whole  way.  It  is  by  no  means  un- 
pleasant to  be  entirely  out  of  the  beaten  track  of 
the  English  travellers.  Our  fellow-passengers  and 
guests  at  the  inns  seem  to  be  chiefly  German 
bagmen.  .  .  . 

[Sept.  5th.] — At  length  we  have  been  favoured 
with  a  tolerably  fine  day,  and  have  taken  advantage 
of  it  by  walking  from  Hillesheim  to  Gerolstein. 
Not  being  pressed  for  time,  we  halted  occasionally 
and  made  use  of  our  sketchbooks,  some  of  the 


212      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

results   of  which   halts   I   hope   to   convey   home 
some  fine  day. 

Our  road  led  us  through  several  small  villages; 
near  one  of  them  is  a  fine  old  ruined  castle  called 
Casselberg.  It  is  remarkably  picturesque,  with 
a  fine  tall  keep,  and  skirted  by  graceful  foliage. 
In  the  courtyard  and  ruined  banqueting-hall  are 
plenty  of  shrubs  and  bright  little  wildflowers. 
One  great  charm  is  the  absence  of  guides  and 
commissionnaires  and  traces  of  English  tourists. 
In  one  of  the  outworks  we  started  a  couple  of 
owls.  A  number  of  hawks  has  been  hovering 
over  our  heads  during  the  day.  We  are  now  in 
the  heart  of  the  country,  amongst  the  German 
peasantry,  and  a  remarkably  civil  and  intelligent 
set  they  turn  out  to  be.  They  seem  very  indus- 
trious, and  their  fields  often  bear  a  thoroughly 
English  aspect. 

Gerolstein,  little  more  than  a  village,  is  situated 
on  the  side  of  a  steep  hill,  crowned  with  an  attenu- 
ated ruin.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  valley  is 
a  rather  remarkable  hill,  on  the  brow  of  which 
are  some  bold  volcanic  pieces  of  rock,  and  on  the 
summit  is  a  dry  crater  surrounded  by  lava.  In 
a  well  close  to  the  River  Kyll  (a  tributary  of  the 
Moselle)  is  a  constant  supply  of  mineral  water, 
which  comes  bubbling  from  I  know  not  where 
and  affords  a  most  deliciously  cool  and  refreshing 
draught,  superior  to  anything  which  Messrs. 
Schweppe  &  Co.  ever  manufactured.  There  are 
many  little  customs  here  which  cannot  but  delight 


FlG.    13. — PEASANTS    AT   GEROLSTEIX,    1851. 


FlG.    14. — PARTY   OF    PILGRIMS    NEAR    PELM,    1851. 


FlO.    15.  —  HERR    I'ANTENBl  KG. 


Fl(i.  1(>. —  (1KUMAX  GENTLEMAN 
ON  HIS  WAY  TO  Till:  GUEAT 
KXIIIIUTION  CIK  185 1. 


To  (*co  n.  ••!!.!. 


IN    THE    EIFEL    AND    MOSELLE     213 

a  lover  of  the  picturesque.  The  carts  and  agri- 
cultural machines  drawn  by  oxen,  the  herds  of 
goats  and  cows  driven  through  the  streets,  the 
large  long  baskets  carried  on  the  backs  of  the 
women  [see  Fig.  13],  their  fashion  of  tying  a  clean 
white  handkerchief  over  the  head,  etc. 

We  left  Gerolstein  on  foot.  Our  road  led  us 
through  Pelm,  a  village  near  the  Casselberg  men- 
tioned above,  and  then,  turning  to  the  right, 
crossed  some  dreary  country  to  Kirchweiler.  For 
a  considerable  way  we  followed  two  parties  of 
pilgrims,  one  consisting  of  about  twenty  women 
and  the  other  of  rather  more,  each  being  headed 
by  one  or  two  men.  The  women  were  arranged 
in  two  columns,  and  marched  side  by  side  repeating 
rosaries.  Their  appearance,  with  clean  white 
handkerchiefs  over  their  heads  and  brightly 
coloured  ones  round  their  necks,  and  their  gowns 
pinned  up  round  their  waists,  each  carrying  a 
basket  or  bundle,  and  all  umbrellas,  was  highly 
picturesque.  [See  Fig.  14.] 

From  Kirchweiler  we  proceeded  to  Hinters- 
weiler,  and  thence  to  Dochweiler,  and  made  our 
way  by  a  road  through  a  park-like  wold  or  forest 
to  Daun,  a  prettily  situated  place  with  a  sort  of 
chateau  occupying  the  site  of  an  ancient  castle. 
Here  we  took  a  butterbrod,  and  then,  guided  by 
an  intelligent  lad,  pursued  our  way  down  a  pretty 
Devonshire-like  valley,  and  up  a  steep  path  to 
three  very  remarkable  crater-lakes  or  maars.  The 
first,  the  Gemunden  maar,  is  surrounded  by  brush- 


214      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

wood ;  the  second,  which  is  the  highest,  the 
Wehnwelter  Maar,  is  very  dreary.  One  little 
church  (only  used  for  funerals)  is  perched  on  one 
side  of  the  rim.  Numerous  shrines  and  crosses 
marking  the  spots  where  people  have  been  lost 
in  the  snow  are  to  be  seen  on  the  road.  The  road 
passes  between  this  maar  and  the  Schalkenmeere 
Maar,  lying  at  a  lower  level  with  the  village  of 
Schalkenmeere  on  its  bank,  and  then  crosses  a 
good  deal  of  high  tableland.  We  reached  Brock- 
sheid,  and  a  young  man  accompanied  us  for  some 
distance  into  a  wood  and  pointed  out  our  path. 
He  was  a  good  specimen  of  an  intelligent  peasant, 
but  laboured  under  the  common  German  delusion 
that  there  were  no  mountains  in  England.  We 
offered  him  a  trinkgeld,  but  it  was  with  great 
difficulty  that  we  could  persuade  him  to  take  it. 
Emerging  from  the  wald,  we  came  to  the  villages 
of  Eckfeld  and  Buckholtz,  and  down  through  a 
beautiful  wood  to  lower  Manderscheid. 

I  was  totally  unprepared  for  the  extraordinary 
beauty  of  this  place.  The  River  Leiser  makes 
two  or  three  elaborate  bends  at  the  bottom  of  a 
richly  wooded  valley,  and  encloses  within  one  of 
its  windings  a  fine  bold  rock,  upon  which  is  perched 
a  highly  picturesque  ruin  of  a  castle,  with  a  group 
of  still  more  picturesque  cottages  at  the  base. 
On  the  opposite  side  is  a  steep  road  leading  to 
Manderscheid  itself;  this  we  ascended,  and  pre- 
sented ourselves  at  the  door  of  the  inn,  opposite 
the  Post  Expedition  and  kept  by  Herr  Pantenburg. 


Fid.     IT.       THK    \VOLI--    INN,    \\ITTI.Il  II,     1S51. 


To  (ace  p.  _'H. 


IN    THE    EIFEL    AND    MOSELLE     215 

The  landlord,  an  oldish  man,  with  his  hands  in 
his  pockets,  received  us  in  a  fatherly  manner 
and  told  us  that  we  should  have  our  supper  very 
soon.  [This  gentleman's  portrait  is  given  in 
Fig.  15.]  We  employed  ourselves  meanwhile  in 
making  our  notes  and  finishing  our  sketches, 
while  Herr  P.  sat  on  the  sofa  and  watched  us 
until  he  fell  asleep.  He  slept  some  time,  but  at 
length  woke  up,  apparently  hungry,  for  he  began 
to  bustle  about,  and  in  a  short  time  our  supper 
appeared,  and  Herr  Pantenburg  joined  us  in  our 
repast,  as  well  as  a  man  who  appeared  to  be  the 
waiter  and  boots,  etc.,  and  a  pleasant  kind  of 
traveller,  I  suppose  a  bagman.  The  supper  turned 
out  to  be  excellent — a  dish  of  delicious  trout, 
followed  by  sauerbraten  (meat  steeped  in  vinegar), 
peas,  salad,  etc.  We  did  ample  justice  to  this 
meal,  but  being  somewhat  cold  after  it,  M. 
asked  Frau  Pantenburg,  who  waited  upon  us, 
whether  there  was  any  punch  to  be  had.  The 
good  lady,  who  had  naturally  a  very  forbidding 
aspect,  seemed  to  consider  the  question  as  an 
insult,  and  repelled  it  with  some  asperity.  Next 
morning  our  friend  the  bagman  (I  suppose  he 
was  a  bagman — he  called  himself  a  merchant) 
informed  us  that  we  were  in  the  good  graces  of 
Herr  Pantenburg.  It  appears  that  he  had  said 
that  we  were  l  good  boys,'  but  that  all  the  other 
English  were  4  naughty  boys.'  After  breakfast 
we  went  down  into  the  ravine,  explored  the  castle, 
made  one  or  two  sketches,  and  bathed  in  the  river. 


216      TRAVEL   IN  TWO   CENTURIES 

We    then    bid    an    affectionate    farewell    to  Herr 
Pantenburg. 

[Sept.  8th.]— We  walked  as  far  as  Wittlich.  A 
guide  from  Manderscheid  conducted  us  during 
the  first  half  of  our  day's  journey,  as  we  were 
anxious  to  visit  on  our  road  some  curious  extinct 
volcanoes.  The  first,  called  the  Meerfeld,  is  very 
large,  and  contains  in  one  part  a  maar  or  crater- 
lake.  The  path  to  this  crater  lies  through  a  pretty 
wooded  valley,  which  was  rendered  the  more 
interesting  by  groups  of  peasants  scattered  among 
the  trees  enjoying  their  fine  Sunday  afternoon. 
Leaving  the  Meerfelder  Maar,  we  ascended  the 
Mosenkopf,  an  old  volcano  with  a  very  perfect 
crater,  now  filled  with  bog  earth  (peat),  which 
is  collected  for  fuel,  as  in  Ireland.  Our  guide 
was  very  communicative,  and  M.,  who  acted  as 
our  interpreter,  extracted  from  him  a  good  deal 
of  local  information.  The  peasants  in  that  part, 
he  told  us,  live  almost  entirely  on  potatoes.  They 
eat  meat  once  a  year  only,  but  then  they  devour 
as  much  as  they  can.  He  told  us  that  not  long 
ago  two  wagons  full  of  arms  presented  themselves 
at  Herr  Pantenburg's  door  to  invite  the  people 
to  rise,  but  the  people  would  not.  He  said  he 
thought  that  if  they  had  done  so  they  would  have 
obtained  plenty  of  money.  In  the  midst  of  a 
beautiful  forest  our  guide  left  us,  having  pointed 
out  the  way,  and  we  soon  emerged  from  the  wood, 
and  walking  through  the  villages  of  Grosslitgen 
and  Minderlitgen,  we  came  down  by  a  winding 


IN    THE   EIFEL   AND    MOSELLE    217 

road  into  the  plain  in  which  Wittlich  is  situated, 
leaving  behind  us  the  round  isolated  hills  of  the 
Eifel,  and  having  in  view  before  us  the  long  range 
of  the  high  banks  of  the  Moselle.  Wittlich  is 
the  largest  place  we  have  visited  since  we  left 
Malmedy.  It  is  a  picturesque  and  dirty  town, 
but  presents  little  to  interest  the  traveller.  [A 
view  of  the  Wolf  Inn,  where  the  party  stayed, 
is  given  in  Fig.  17.] 

The  next  morning  we  again  loaded  ourselves 
with  our  packs  and  set  forth  southwards.  We 
followed  the  course  of  the  Leiser  until  it  reaches 
the  Moselle,  two  or  three  miles  above  Berncastel. 
The  Moselle  is  here  confined  between  sloping 
banks  covered  with  vineyards.  We  followed  the 
road  along  the  left  bank  until  opposite  Berncastel, 
a  picturesque  row  of  houses,  with  a  brown  church- 
tower  in  the  middle,  and,  of  course,  a  ruined  castle 
on  the  height  [Fig.  18].  From  this  point  to 
Trabach  the  river  makes  a  bend  of  fifteen  miles, 
but  a  steep  path  across  a  narrow  neck  of  land 
conducted  us  there  by  a  short-cut  of  three  miles. 
On  the  way  we  were  joined  by  a  quaint  little 
German  [Fig.  16],  who  was  on  his  way  to  London 
to  see  the  Exhibition.1  Trabach  being  a  most  filthy 
town,  though  highly  picturesque,  we  preferred  put- 
ting up  at  Traben,  on  the  left  side  of  the  river. 

[Sept.  9th.] — We  followed  the  river  as  far  as 
Reil,  and  a  little  beyond  struck  up  a  very  steep 
path  through  the  vineyards,  and  crossed  the 

1  The  Great  Exhibition  of  1851  in  Hyde  Park. 


218      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

narrow  neck  of  land  to  Alf.  Here  we  left  our 
packs  and  returned  to  a  point  of  view  called  the 
Prinzen  Kopfchen,  near  the  castle,  or  rather  the 
fortified  nunnery,  of  Marienburg,  whence  a  fine 
view  of  the  whole  bend  of  the  river  is  obtained. 
Returning  to  Alf,  we  took  our  butterbrod  and 
half-bottle  of  Moselle  wine,  and  then,  crossing 
the  ferry,  pursued  our  way  through  a  beautiful 
wooded  valley  to  Senheim.  At  Senholtz,  on  the 
opposite  bank  of  the  river,  we  had  intended  to 
sleep,  but  as  we  had  still  several  hours  of  daylight, 
we  determined  to  push  on  to  Beilstein.  Arriving 
at  Beilstein,  we  found  it  more  picturesque  and 
dirty  than  usual,  but  there  was  no  appearance 
of  an  inn.  So  we  pushed  on  again  to  Ellenz,  a 
little  village  on  the  left  bank,  and  were  there 
pointed  out  a  little  den  of  dirt,  which  they  told 
us  was  the  gasthof.  This  rather  disconcerted  us, 
and  we  determined  to  march  on  for  two  stunden 
(two  hours'  walk)  to  Cochem.  We  were  rather 
tired,  but  the  walk  turned  out  to  be  agreeable 
enough,  as  the  river  improved  here  in  beauty. 
We  reached  the  place  in  a  brilliant  moonlight. 
This  is  the  most  beautiful  spot  on  the  Moselle 
that  we  have  seen  yet.  There  is  a  great  sameness 
in  the  scenery  of  this  river.  The  high,  sloping 
banks  are  generally  covered  with  vineyards  from 
top  to  bottom,  and  the  towns  are  generally  situated 
on  a  little  ledge  close  to  the  river.  Imagine  a  row 
or  two  of  highly  picturesque  old  houses,  with  a 
pyramidal  church-tower,  a  few  filthy  narrow 


IN    THE    EIFEL   AND    MOSELLE    219 

streets,  and  an  archway  leading  out  to  the  ferry 
across  the  river,  then  place  a  tower  and  a  few  ragged 
walls  upon  an  eminence  overlooking  the  houses,  and 
you  have  a  fair  idea  of  the  towns  on  the  Moselle. 

[Sept.  10th.] — To-day,  having  paused  for  a  while 
to  sketch  the  town  and  castle  of  Cochem  [Fig. 
19],  we  followed  the  course  of  the  river,  which 
still  bears  the  same  character  as  heretofore,  to 
Garden,  a  small  town  on  the  left  bank  below 
Treis.  Leaving  our  humps  at  the  little  inn  at 
Treis,  we  walked  up  a  stony  path  and  through 
a  wood  on  to  a  very  pretty  valley,  in  which  is 
situated  the  romantic  castle  of  Elz,  which  is  still 
in  a  great  measure  in  its  original  state.  After 
wandering  round  and  round  the  castle  and  fording 
and  crossing  a  stream  two  or  three  times,  we  found 
the  path,  which  ascended,  and  made  our  way  under 
an  old  bridge,  and  then  over  it,  and  through  a 
dark  archway  or  two,  into  a  strange  little  courtyard 
surrounded  by  high  buildings  and  turrets.  As 
soon  as  we  entered  it,  two  or  three  large  dogs 
rushed  forth  and  commenced  barking  furiously 
at  us.  As  they  presented  a  formidable  front,  we 
hesitated  to  advance,  but  after  a  time,  plucking 
up  courage,  we  advanced  towards  the  door,  and 
my  trusty  '  Schlappie '  1  managed  to  keep  the 

1  Schlappie  was  a  walking-stick  embellished  with  a  grotesque 
head,  with  a  sad  expression  and  a  crooked  nose,  which  Mr.  Roget 
had  bought  in  July  1844  at  Unterseen,  near  Thoune.  This 
was  named  after  a  guide  whom  the  party  employed  about  that 
time.  The  stick  was  a  great  favourite  and  still  survives,  although 
now  known  by  another  name. 


220      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

dogs  at  bay  until  the  portal  was  opened  by  a  fat, 
surly-looking  man,  who  pointed  out  another  door 
by  which  we  were  to  enter  to  see  the  apartments. 
Here  a  sour  little  woman  showed  us  through  two 
or  three  ordinary  looking  rooms,  with  a  little  bit 
of  tapestry  and  two  or  three  suits  of  rusty  armour, 
and  then  turned  us  out  again  amongst  the  dogs ; 
but  being  now  accustomed  to  their  barking,  I 
brandished  Schlappie,  and  they  turned  tail.  We 
retraced  our  steps  with  some  difficulty,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  darkness,  but  finally  with  success. 
Here  (Garden)  we  have  met  with  the  first  English- 
man we  have  seen  since  leaving  Brussels. 

[Sept.  llth.] — To-day  we  were  obliged  to  make 
another  forced  march.  After  breakfast  we  set 
off  along  the  left  bank  of  the  river,  and  passing 
Muden  and  Moselkern,  crossed  the  ferry  at  Broden- 
bach  and,  leaving  our  humps  at  the  gasthaus, 
walked  up  a  valley  to  the  castle  of  Ehrenbach, 
a  picturesque  ruin.  Taking  our  midday  butter- 
brod,  we  again  set  for  that  a  good  brisk  pace  along 
the  right  bank,  hoping  to  reach  Cobern  in  time 
for  the  steamer  to  Coblenz.  There  is  a  curious 
old  round  chapel  on  a  height  above  Cobern,  said 
to  have  been  built  by  the  Crusaders  in  the  thir- 
teenth century.  We  made  an  excursion  up  the 
hill  to  see  this,  and  enjoyed  a  beautiful  prospect 
therefrom,  with  the  additional  pleasure  of  seeing 
our  steamer  quietly  sailing  down  the  stream  with 
its  stern  pointed  towards  Cobern.  There  was 
nothing  for  it  but  to  walk  on.  So  we  crossed  the 


IN    THE    EIFEL    AND    MOSELLE     221 

ferry  once  more  and  followed  the  right  bank  of 
the  river.  The  hills  gradually  become  lower  and 
the  scenery  less  romantic  at  this  part  of  the  Moselle. 
At  length  our  road  turned  off  to  the  right,  and 
passing  through  a  dirty  village  in  the  dark,  among 
harnessed  oxen  and  bad  smells  and  barking  dogs, 
we  emerged  upon  a  broad  road  between  rows  of 
trees,  and  after  a  somewhat  dreary  walk  we  came 
upon  a  public  garden  outside  the  walls  of  Coblentz, 
just  as  the  moon  rose  on  our  right.  Passing  the 
drawbridge  and  great  gate  of  the  town,  we  entered 
a  large  open  filatz  planted  with  trees,  and  asking 
our  way  to  the  Hotel  Belle  Vue,  a  gentleman 
very  kindly  accompanied  us  there  through  some 
rather  fine  streets.  We  entered  the  hall  amongst 
bowing  kellners  and  clean  napkins,  dusty,  rough- 
looking  travellers  as  we  were,  and  were  lighted 
by  bougies  up  an  interminable  staircase  into  clean 
bedrooms  overlooking  the  Rhine,  where  we  soon 
were  relieved  of  our  humps,  and  made  ourselves 
look  as  respectable  as  we  could  before  appearing 
in  the  salle  a  manger.  It  seems  quite  new  to  us 
to  wander  about  in  shirts  and  collars  among  ladies 
and  gentlemen.  I  scarcely  know  how  to  behave 
myself.  There  is  a  degree  of  comfort  about  it, 
nevertheless.  Had  we  arrived  here  by  daylight 
we  should  probably  have  put  up  at  some  modest 
little  pothouse  instead  of  this  grand  hotel.  Having 
now  accomplished  the  first  part  of  our  journey, 
we  are  giving  ourselves  half  a  day's  rest  to  look 
back  upon  the  pleasant  time  we  have  spent,  to 


222      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

calculate  our  past  expenses,  and  to  lay  our  plans 
for  the  future.  We  have  hitherto  lived  at  the 
average  rate  of  between  six  and  seven  shillings 
a  day." 

On  the  following  day  the  trio  walked  on,  in 
the  afternoon,  up  the  Rhine  to  Braubach,  where 
they  put  up  at  an  old  inn  which  had  formerly 
been  a  chateau,  and  inspected  the  castle  of  Marks- 
burg,  then  "  inhabited  by  a  garrison  of  Nassau 
troops."  The  next  resting-place  was  Mayence, 
which  was  reached  by  steamer. 

"  After  attending  mass  at  Mayence  (I  have  not 
become  a  Catholic),  and  walking  about  the  town 
for  a  little,  looking  at  Thorwaldsen's  statue  of 
Gutenberg  and  at  the  Prussian  and  Austrian 
soldiers  l  strolling  about  the  streets  (there  is  always 
a  regiment  of  each  army  at  Mayence  [see  Fig.  20], 
and  of  course  great  rivalry  is  displayed  between 
them),  we  walked  across  the  bridge  and  took  our 
railway  tickets  for  Frankfurt.  There  being  four 
classes  on  this  railway,  we  chose  the  third,  but 
found  it  rather  too  respectable,  not  to  say  aristo- 
cratic, the  seats  being  cushioned  and  the  company 

1  Mayence  had  been  French  for  various  periods  in  its  history. 
It  was  restored  to  Germany  in  1814,  and  from  1816  formed  part 
of  the  dominions  of  the  Grand  Dukes  of  Hesse,  but  being  a  fortress 
of  the  German  Confederation,  was  garrisoned  by  Prussian  and 
Austrian  troops.  It  is  strange  to  think  that,  seventy  years  later, 
it  should  again  be  occupied  by  the  French,  and  that  Coblenz  should 
be  in  the  hands  of  American  troops. 


IN    THE    EIFEL    AND    MOSELLE     223 

of  a  high  order.  At  Frankfurt,  leaving  our  knap- 
sacks at  the  railway  station,  we  took  a  walk 
round  the  town.  I  was  a  little  surprised  at  seeing 
nearly  all  the  shops  closed.1  Frankfurt  contains 
a  fine  street  and  some  handsome  buildings.  The 
older  part  of  the  city,  however,  is  dirty  and 
wretched  enough.  One  street  is  particularly  inter- 
esting, as  being  inhabited  entirely  by  Jews,  of 
whom  there  are  great  numbers  in  Frankfurt.  The 
more  wealthy  now  live  in  other  parts  of  the  city, 
but  formerly  all  the  Israelites  were  confined  to 
that  one  quarter,  and  were  subject  to  several 
strict  and  tyrannical  laws.  It  is  curious  to  see 
the  walls  hung  with  advertisements  in  Hebrew. 
Returning  to  the  railway,  we  again  set  off  for 
Heidelberg  by  the  third  class.  (On  this  line  the 
fourth  class  provides  no  seats.)" 

There  is  no  need  to  dwell  upon  the  brief  sojourn 
at  Heidelberg,  the  beauties  of  which  have  already 
been  referred  to  in  these  pages.  From  Heidelberg 
the  train  was  taken  to  Mannheim,  whence  the 
steamer  took  the  travellers  via  Bingen  to  Brohl, 
a  little  village  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Rhine,  a 
few  miles  below  Andernach.  From  Bingen,  "  the 
cabin  of  the  steamer  was  filled  with  Nassau 
soldiers,  apparently  going  home  on  leave,  fine, 
active-looking  fellows  some  of  them,  and  more 
like  English  soldiers  than  any  I  have  seen."  Part 
of  the  next  day  was  spent  in  exploring  the  valley 

1  The  day  was  Sunday. 


224      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

of  Brohl,  including  the  "  singular  lake  of  Laach. 
It  is  nearly  circular,  and  the  sloping  sides,  covered 
with  fine  trees,  have  a  pleasing  effect ;  but  the 
most  interesting  object  is  the  old  Benedictine 
convent.  The  valley  contains  some  curious 
quarries  in  the  form  of  caves."  After  this  diver- 
sion, the  steamer  was  resumed  to  Remagen  in 
order  to  explore  another  side  valley,  that  of  the 
Ahr.  Most  of  the  next  day  was  accordingly  spent 
in  walking  along  by  the  windings  of  that  river 
to  Altenahr.  "  We  have  seen  nothing,"  the 
account  continues,  "  to  be  compared  with  the 
romantic  situation  of  Altenahr.  Lying  in  a  deep 
hollow  amidst  precipitous  walls  of  basaltic  rock, 
a  castle  perched  on  one  of  them,  and  vineyards 
or  rich  foliage  covering  the  sides  of  others,  it 
presents  a  scene  of  surprising  beauty. 

A  long  procession  of  pilgrims  from  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Bonn  has  just  passed  through  the 
town  on  their  way  to  Treves.1  They  were  headed 
by  a  boy  with  a  scarlet  banner  surmounted  by  a 
cross.  He  was  followed  by  two  long  rows  of  women 
with  white  napkins  over  their  heads,  and  either 
rosaries  or  hymn-books  in  their  hands.  Two  rows 
of  men  in  blouses  succeeded,  some  with  books  and 
others  with  umbrellas,  and  two  wagons  with  white 
covers  containing  baskets,  probably  of  provisions." 

1  The  famous  relic,  the  "  Holy  Coat  of  Treves,"  appears  to  have 
been  exhibited  at  intervals  of  seven  years.  It  is  recorded  that  at 
the  previous  exhibition,  in  1844,  it  attracted  more  than  a  million 
pilgrims. 


IN    THE    EIFEL    AND    MOSELLE     225 

The  return  to  Remagen  was  made  on  foot, 
where  the  steamer  was  boarded  from  an  open 
boat  (in  the  rain).  "  There  appears  to  be,"  he 
writes,  "  a  stream  of  Englishmen  setting  towards 
home.  The  steamer  to-day  contained  a  great 
many  passengers,  evidently  on  their  return  from 
Switzerland,  as  one  could  see  by  their  alpenstocks 
and  boxes  of  chalets,  which  they  were  bearing 
along  in  triumph."  After  a  brief  halt  at  Bonn, 
the  train  was  taken  on  to  Cologne,  where  the 
following  report  is  made  of  the  cathedral :  "  The 
works  have  been  steadily  proceeding  since  we 
saw  it  (in  1844),  but  there  is  still  to  be  completed 
about  one-third  in  height  of  the  nave  and  transept, 
two-thirds  of  one  tower,  and  I  think  the  whole 
of  the  other." 

"  On  Tuesday,  rising  before  daylight,  we  em- 
barked by  railway  for  Malines,  where  we  arrived 
by  a  very  long  train  at  about  four  o'clock;  being 
near  the  end  of  the  train,  we  were  shaken  a  good 
deal  and  nearly  smothered  with  dust.  The  reason 
of  so  great  a  number  of  travellers  is  the  fetes 
which  were  being  celebrated  at  all  the  Belgian 
towns  in  honour  of  the  Revolution.1  We  had  our 
knapsacks  slightly  examined  at  Verviers,  but  our 
passports  were  not  demanded."  On  the  following 
day  the  railway  journey  was  continued  to  Ostend, 
with  halts  of  a  few  hours  at  Ghent  and  Bruges. 

1  The  Revolution  of  1880-1,  when  Belgium  broke  away  from 
Holland,  to  which  she  had  been  united  since  1815  as  the  Kingdom 
of  the  Netherlands,  and  became  a  separate  kingdom  under  Leopold  I. 

15 


226      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

i 

"  At  Ostend  we  walked  straight  on  board  the 

steamer,  the  Panther,  a  very  good  boat,  in  which 
the  passengers  were  fast  assembling.  The  evening 
was  foggy  and  the  decks  quite  wet,  so  we  were 
all  huddled  together  in  the  cabin  until  such  time 
as  shelves  and  mattresses  could  be  arranged  for 
our  accommodation.  We  may  consider  ourselves 
lucky  in  being  permitted  to  stow  ourselves  away 
along  a  high  ledge  in  the  stern  of  the  ship,  whence 
we  had  a  bird's-eye  view  of  the  floor  covered  with 
mattresses,  and  with  booted  and  mustachioed 
foreigners  snoring  under  tables  and  chairs  in 
uncomfortable  attitudes.  At  two  we  started,  and 
in  my  dreams  I  heard  many  footsteps  and  voices, 
and  knockings  and  creakings  above  my  head, 
but  after  a  time  I  slept  soundly,  and  did  not  turn 
out  till  we  were  off  Margate.  We  had  a  beautiful 
passage,  the  sea  like  a  mill-pond,  and  it  entered 
not  into  the  stomach  of  man,  or  even  of  woman, 
to  be  sick.  The  noises  I  heard  overhead  have 
been  since  explained.  The  weather  being  very 
thick,  the  Triton.,  a  steamer  belonging  to  the  same 
company  as  ours,  had  run  into  the  pier  and  stove 
in  two  planks,  and  we  were  making  exertions  to 
tow  her  off  without  success.  Our  tow-rope  broke 
and  we  left  her  to  her  fate.  We  sailed  up  the 
Thames  without  adventure,  excepting  a  good 
substantial  breakfast,  until  off  Blackwall.  There 
something  wrong  happened  to  the  engine,  which 
delayed  us  again.  However,  it  was  soon  mended, 
and  we  arrived  at  St.  Catherine's  Wharf  about 


IN    THE    EIFEL    AND    MOSELLE     227 

one  o'clock.  Here  our  luggage  was  examined,  and 
as  we  had  only  one  pack  apiece  we  were  taken  in 
the  first  batch  and  let  off  easily,  though  I  cannot 
say  much  in  favour  of  the  arrangements  for  the 
comfort  of  travellers  generally.  After  having  been 
kept  waiting  for  a  long  time,  standing  in  a  species 
of  dog-holes,  they  are  scarcely  treated  with  civility 
by  the  officials,  and  are  then  charged  sixpence 
for  every  package  they  possess.  We  walked  to 
London  Bridge,  and  then,  after  a  lift  in  an 
omnibus,  walked  to  our  respective  homes."  x 

1  It  is  perhaps  interesting  to  note  that  the  expenses  for  the  whole 
twenty- five  days  amounted  only  to  £11  13s.  2d.  for  each  of  the 
three  members  of  the  party. 


CHAPTER   X 

1855  : 

PARIS     DURING    THE    CRIMEAN     WAR, 
AND    A    TRIP    TO    HOLLAND 

WE  will  pause  next  for  a  glance  at  Paris 
in  1855,  when  Mr.  J.  L.  Roget  made 
a  short  trip  in  France  and  Holland.  He  was 
accompanied  on  this  occasion  by  his  uncle,  Mr. 
Samuel  Hobson,  whose  travels  in  America  as  a 
young  man  have  already  been  referred  to.  The 
crossing  was  made  from  Southampton  to  Havre, 
and  does  not  call  for  remark  except  to  note  that 
passports  were  taken  away  on  landing  and  had 
to  be  called  for  afterwards  at  the  Hotel  de  Ville. 
The  following  may  be  quoted  from  the  notes  on 
the  stay  in  Paris  : — 

"  On  the  evening  of  the  day  on  which  the  news 
arrived  of  the  capture  of  the  Malakoff,1  illumina- 

1  The  taking  of  the  Malakoff,  which  was  a  great  stone  tower, 
forming  an  important  part  of  the  defences  of  Sevastopol,  was  the 
culminating  point  of  the  siege  of  Sevastopol,  and  formed  the 
turning-point  of  the  Crimean  War. 


PARIS  DURING  THE  CRIMEAN  WAR  229 

tions  of  public  buildings  were  extemporized.  At 
half-past  ten  two  men  proceeded  along  the  railings 
of  the  Tuileries  Gardens,  one  with  saucers  full  of 
grease  surrounding  a  wick  and  the  other  with 
a  lighted  torch.  The  grease  pots  were  quickly 
deposited  at  equal  intervals,  and  the  torch  applied 
to  the  wicks,  and  a  brilliant  illumination  was 
produced  in  an  incredibly  short  time.  Two  nights 
after  the  principal  buildings  and  the  town  gener- 
ally were  regularly  illuminated — the  former  chiefly 
with  rows  of  lamps  running  along  the  cornices,  the 
latter  with  coloured-paper  lanterns,  but  I  did  not 
see  any  devices  such  as  we  are  accustomed  to 
in  London. 

The  Emperor  l  going  to  Notre  Dame  to  return 
thanks  for  the  victory  afforded  us  a  good  oppor- 
tunity of  seeing  some  of  the  principal  regiments 
of  the  Army.  The  National  Guards,  blue  with 
white  facings,  were  drawn  up  on  one  side  of  the 
Rue  de  Rivoli,  and  the  Voltigeurs,2  Sapeurs-pom- 
piers  and  a  line  regiment  on  the  other  side.  The 
troops  accompanying  the  Emperor  consisted  of 
the  Guides,  Cent  Gardes  and  Cuirassiers.  The 
Rue  de  Rivoli  was  hung  from  one  end  to  the  other 
with  flags  of  France  and  England,  upon  which 
the  hot  sun  shone  very  brilliantly,  but  the  colours 
of  Turkey  seemed  almost  entirely  forgotten. 

The  line  regiments  have  recently  adopted  a 
new  mode  of  packing  their  greatcoats.  Instead 
of  placing  them  at  the  top  of  the  knapsack  only, 

1  Napoleon  III.  2  Light  infantry. 


230      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

as  our  troops  and  as  the  National  Guard  do,  they 
fasten  them  round  the  sides  also.  The  knapsacks 
are  covered  with  cowhide  with  the  hairs  remain- 
ing. This  morning  (17th  Sept.)  we  saw  2,000  of 
them  going  off  for  the  Crimea.  They  seemed 
active  men  in  fine  health.  They  carried  a  short 
Roman  sword  besides  their  bayonets." 

Some  of  the  uniforms  here  mentioned  are  shown 
in  the  scraps  from  Mr.  Roget's  sketchbook  re- 
produced in  Fig.  21. 

It  is  not  proposed  to  quote  more  than 
a  few  paragraphs  of  the  notes  regarding  the 
amusements  in  and  excursions  from  Paris.  The 
following  is  a  description  of  a  fete  at  St. 
Cloud  :— 

"  The  park  open  to  the  public — a  long  avenue 
lined  with  stalls,  for  sale  of  all  sorts  of  ornament, 
etc.,  merry-go-rounds,  jeux  de  bague,  theatres,  etc., 
tirs  aux  pistolets  in  great  profusion,  cafes,  etc. — 
a  Greenwich  fair  of  a  higher  class  and  on  a  much 
larger  scale.  Went  into  a  theatre  for  four  sous  : 
ballet-dancers  on  the  outside,  like  Richardson's ; 
within,  poses  plastiques  of  sacred  subjects — Christ 
bearing  the  cross,  the  crucifixion,  the  entomb- 
ment. As  this  was  the  last  tableau,  our  Saviour 
suddenly  stood  up  and  made  his  bow  to  the  com- 
pany. The  performance  closed  with  a  dwarf,  who 
informed  us  of  his  age,  height,  etc.,  and  chasseed 
away  in  a  comic  style.  The  Grands  Eaiuc,  which 


FlG.    20. — PRUSSIAN    AND   AUSTRIAN    SOLDIERS,    MAYENCE,    1851. 


Grenadiers 
de  la  Garde. 


Voltigeur. 


Infantry. 


FlG.    21. — FRENCH    SOLDIERS,    1855. 


FlU.    22.—  UUTfH 

•  CUSTOMS 


SfllKS  KMNdKN     I  ISII  Wi  IM  I  .N  ,     1S5.">. 

lo  I n.ce  p.  2W. 


PARIS  DURING  THE  CRIMEAN  WAR  231 

played,  are  a  very  poor  affair,  merely  some  water 
pouring  down  steps,  with  a  few  insignificant  jets 
below.  There  is  said  to  be  one  high  jet,  but  that 
did  not  play." 

The  next  extract  refers  to  the  return  journey 
from  a  visit  to  Fontainebleau  : — 

"  The  management  of  our  return  was  not  very 
efficient.  The  waiting-rooms  were  not  opened, 
and  all  the  passengers  were  crowded  together  in 
a  passage  outside  until  the  time  of  departure 
arrived,  and  then  the  train  was  found  not  to  be 
large  enough,  and  many  excursionists  were  left 
on  the  platform.  The  behaviour  of  the  people  was 
strikingly  different  from  what  would  have  been 
the  case  in  England.  An  English  mob  would  have 
begun  by  a  great  deal  of  good-humoured  noisy 
chaff,  and  when  tired  of  that  amusement  would 
perhaps  have  burst  open  the  door.  The  French, 
on  the  contrary,  bore  the  infliction  for  some  time 
with  patience,  but  at  length  stamped  with  their 
feet  and  sticks  in  polka  time,  and  expressed 
themselves  in  deep  murmurs  to  one  another  in- 
dividually. What  would  have  been  the  next  stage 
I  do  not  know.  Those  left  on  the  platform 
were  noisy  enough  in  their  reproaches  to  the 
officials." 

We  will  not  follow  in  detail  the  journey  by 
train  from  Paris  to  Amiens  and  on  into  Belgium, 


232      TRAVEL  IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

stopping  once  more  at  Antwerp.     The  continuation 
of  the  tour  was  as  follows  : — 

"  26th  Sept. — Antwerp  to  Rotterdam  by  steamer, 
as  more  agreeable  than  railway.  Set  off  at 
10.30  a.m.,  arrived  11.10  p.m.  A  very  long  pas- 
sage, occasioned  by  long  delay  while  aground  near 
Bergen-op-Zoom,  and  subsequent  opposition  of 
tide.  Besides  captain  and  steward,  there  was 
a  person  apparently  leading  an  easy  life,  whose 
whole  duty  appeared  to  be  to  take  the  money. 
Luggage  examined  (not  severely)  by  a  fat  customs 
official  who  boarded  us  at  the  frontier  (Fig.  22). 
The  Dutch  sailors  and  others  do  their  work  more 
quietly  than  the  English.  There  is  not  the 
bawling  and  noise  we  are  accustomed  to  in  our 
seaports." 

A  considerable  portion  of  the  journal  from 
which  we  are  quoting  is  devoted  to  notes  on  the 
museums  and  picture  galleries,  especially  at  The 
Hague,  which  was  the  next  place  visited,  and 
where  Mr.  Roget's  artistic  nature  revelled  in  the 
collections.  Referring  to  an  excursion  to  Scheven- 
ingen,  which  is  described  as  "a  clean  fishing- 
village  "  (Fig.  23),  Mr.  Roget  writes :  "  The  Dutch 
fishing-boats  go  from  here  over  to  the  Scotch 
coasts  for  herrings,  of  which  there  are  none  on 
the  coast  of  Holland,"  and  he  adds  a  note  :  "  This 
does  not  seem  to  have  been  always  the  case.  See 
Ben  Jonson's  Folpone,  where  Sir  Politic  Would-be 


PARIS  DURING  THE  CRIMEAN  WAR  233 

devises  a  scheme  for  supplying  Venice  with  Rotter- 
dam herrings." 

The  following  extract  refers  to  Haarlem  :— 

"  On  one  side  of  the  town  is  a  very  beautiful 
wood,  laid  out  with  amazing  skill  and  taste.  It 
is  more  varied  than  the  Bosch  at  The  Hague,  and 
contains  fine  timber.  Hither  all  the  gentry  of 
Haarlem  repair  in  the  afternoon  to  listen  to 
a  military  band.  .  .  .  The  ladies  and  gentle- 
men who  were  grouped  about  the  tables  had 
a  very  prosperous  appearance.  All  the  Dutch 
ladies  I  have  seen  are  dressed  in  excellent  taste, 
quiet  and  unassuming,  but  studiously  neat  and 
the  colours  in  good  harmony.  The  men,  however, 
on  this  occasion  seemed  partial  to  white  waist- 
coats and  black  trousers.  Around  the  enclosure 
were  a  great  many  neat  and  clean  and  smiling 
nursery-maids  with  spherical  children. 

We  saw  several  cases  of  pincushion  tops,  both 
pink  and  white,  at  the  sides  of  doors,  announcing 
births  (see  W.  Erie's  Pipe  of  Dutch  Kanaster). 
These  are  presented  by  the  husband.  They  are 
not  to  be  bought,  but  are  worked  by  the  sisters, 
etc.  The  custom  seems  to  be  peculiar  to  Haarlem. 
At  Amsterdam  the  husband  presents  a  pincushion 
with  pins  marking  the  names  of  the  mother  and 
the  child.  Each  place  has  some  different  custom. 
In  some  a  long  piece  of  black  cloth  announces  a 
death." 


234      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

From  Amsterdam  several  excursions  were  made, 
and  the  following  picturesque  impression  gives  a 
good  idea  of  the  Holland  of  those  days  : — 

"  Starting  at  seven,  we  crossed  the  steam  ferry 
(a  broad  stage)  to  the  entrance  of  the  great  North 
Holland  ship  canal,  along  which  a  treikshult  (larger 
than  usual,  with  a  platform  and  seats  on  the  top) 
carried  us  a  short  distance  to  a  village,  where  we 
hired  an  open  carriage  with  two  good  horses 
(apparently  rare  in  Holland),  harnessed  with  rope 
and  guided  by  rope  reins,  which  took  us  along 
dykes  and  by  windmills,  charming  little  farms 
and  cottages,  each  on  a  little  green  square  island, 
to  Purmerend.  Very  many  of  the  farmhouses 
have  large  pyramidal  high  tiled  roofs.  These 
contain  the  hay,  which  must  form  a  very  warm 
covering  in  winter.  Some  have  haystacks  out- 
side with  round  tops,  the  straw  thatch  being  held 
on  by  bricks  suspended  all  round. 

At  Purmerend  the  market  was  being  held,  and 
presented  the  most  extraordinary  scene  imaginable. 
The  costumes  of  North  Holland  were  seen  in  per- 
fection. Very  fine  and  pretty  women,  with  beauti- 
ful clear  complexions  and  blue  eyes  (Fig.  24). 
The  caps  and  quaint  silver  head-dresses  conceal 
the  whole  of  their  hair,  but  they  wear  an  ugly 
bunch  of  black  curls  on  each  temple.  Little  girls 
wear  the  same  dress  as  middle-aged  and  old  women. 
The  carts  are  painted  and  carved  in  all  manner 
of  quaint  ways.  Those  with  the  horn  in  front 


PARIS  DURING  THE  CRIMEAN  WAR  235 

by  which  the  driver  steers  with  his  foot  have 
generally  a  little  waving  border  carved  along  the 
top  of  each  side,  frequently  terminating  in  a  wide 
snake's  head.  But  the  carving  on  the  backboard 
is  the  most  elaborate — scrollwork  and  flowers, 
little  cupids,  trees  and  pictures,  bright  coloured, 
with  frequently  a  copy  of  verses  and  the  name  of 
the  owner.  Some  of  the  dates  were  as  old  as 
1831  or  1832,  but  the  carts  looked  quite  fresh 
and  bright.  One  of  these  inscriptions  is  given 
below  : — 

Treedt  op  en  onbevreest, 
En  blij  van  geest, 

Op  dezen  wagen, 
De  voerman  zal, 
En  God  !  vooral, 

Wei  zorge  clragen.     (1840) 

(Translation.) 

Jump  up,  ne'er  fear ; 
Be  of  good  cheer ; 

Upon  this  cart  pray  go ; 
The  driver  he  shall, 
And  God  !  above  all, 

Take  very  good  care  of  you. 

From  Purmerend  the  carriage  took  us  by 
Monnikendam,  a  pattern  of  cleanliness,  to  Broek. 
Both  these  places  strike  a  stranger  by  reason  of 
the  absence  of  people  in  the  streets,  giving  a  strange 
deserted  appearance.  At  Broek  we  saw  a  dairy 
farm.  The  cows  were  not  housed  at  this  time  of 
the  year,  but  their  stalls  were  filled  with  quaint 


236      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

crockery  and  rude  pictures.  The  living-rooms  of 
the  house  contained  a  large  collection  of  such 
ornaments  and  some  very  handsome  high  walnut 
cabinets,  beautifully  polished.  These  appear  to 
be  not  uncommon.  A  little  boy  was  playing  about 
in  his  stockings,  the  sabots  being  left  outside  the 
door,  as  usual.  In  the  dairy  was  a  curious  churn, 
worked  by  a  dog  running  in  the  interior  of  a 
cylinder. 

On  our  way  back  we  saw  the  interior  of  a  drain- 
ing mill.  The  machinery  is  as  simple  as  possible, 
the  water  being  pumped  by  an  Archimedean 
screw  and  prevented  from  returning  by  a  wooden 
door.  The  miller  and  his  family  live  in  a  neat 
little  room  adjoining  the  screw." 

Amongst  other  places  visited  was  Alkmaar.  It 
is  perhaps  of  interest  to  give  the  following  descrip- 
tion of  the  cheese  market  there  (Fig.  25) : — 

"  The  cheese  market  (said  to  be  the  largest  in 
Europe),  held  on  Friday  mornings,  is  a  very  pretty 
and  curious  sight.  Many  of  the  cheeses  arrive 
the  evening  before  and  are  stacked  in  the  open 
market-place  in  rows  of  rectangles  of  two  layers, 
the  lower  ones  being  separated  from  the  pavement 
by  a  cloth  and  the  whole  covered  by  a  beautiful, 
clean  white  sheet,  and  a  piece  of  sail-cloth  or 
tarpaulin  above  it,  which  is  tied  down  with  wisps 
of  straw.  On  Friday  morning  about  nine  o'clock 
the  stacking  may  be  observed  to  be  proceeding 


FlG.    24. — DUTCH    WOMEN    AT    PUKMEKEXD,    1855. 


FlG.    25.-  -CHEESE    MAHKET,    AI.KMAAK,    1855. 


r  .  face  p. -2».i. 


PARIS  DURING  THE  CRIMEAN  WAR  237 

with  alacrity,  and  arrivals  of  funny  painted  carts, 
full  of  broad-breeched  farmers  and  pretty  smiling 
women  with  their  gold  headpieces,  take  place. 
The  canal,  which  bounds  the  front  of  the  market- 
place, is  crowded  with  barges,  and  groups  of  solid 
Dutchmen,  each  with  his  pipe  (a  short  one  with 
painted  German  bowl  generally),  assemble  and 
chat  together  with  their  hands  in  their  pockets. 
Soon,  the  owners  of  the  cheeses  begin  to  roll  back 
the  coverings  of  the  stacks  and  display  long  lines 
of  beautiful  clean  lemon-coloured  globes  like  shad- 
docks, eyeing  them  with  a  critical  expression  of 
countenance.  The  business  then  commences,  and 
purchasers,  with  notebooks  and  pencils,  may  be 
seen  feeling  the  cheeses  and  making  inquiries  con- 
cerning them.  These  persons  may  easily  be  dis- 
tinguished, if  only  by  their  dress  being  in  no  way 
peculiar.  They  generally  wear  an  English-looking 
cap  or  round  hat  and  ordinary  morning  coats, 
which  would  pass  well  in  London.  When  a  bar- 
gain is  concluded,  the  same  is  signified  by  vendor 
and  purchaser  clapping  their  hands  together  (some- 
times more  than  once  in  succession),  and  the  effect 
of  these  clappings  of  hands  when  the  business  is 
brisk  is  very  curious.  Soon  after  ten,  vast  num- 
bers of  porters  (some  fine  tall  men),  all  dressed  in 
large  white  trousers  and  shoes,  short  sleeves  and 
straw  hats  of  various  colours,  begin  their  work, 
trotting  backwards  and  forwards  with  wooden 
litters,  upon  which  the  cheeses  are  all  carried  to 
the  market-house  to  be  weighed  in  large  pairs 


238      TRAVEL  IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

of  scales,  and  then  to  the  quays  by  the  side 
of  the  barges  for  exportation.  They  are  some- 
times rolled  one  by  one  after  examination  into 
these  barges  by  wooden  pipes,  or  rather  troughs, 
but  sometimes  they  are  thrown  in  from  hand 
to  hand.  In  unloading  and  loading  these  carts 
and  litters,  these  games  of  catch  have  a 
very  pretty  effect,  two  cheeses  being  generally 
thrown. 

The  market-house  (dated  1582),  a  very  pictur- 
esque building  with  a  tall  Dutch  spire  and  brick 
sides,  picked  out  with  white  stone,  was  originally 
a  church.  The  costume  of  the  farmers  at  the 
market  was  chiefly  a  short  jacket  with  two  buttons 
behind.  Trousers  either  of  dark  cloth  or  black 
velveteen.  Boots  or  shoes  sometimes  buckled, 
or  sabots.  Dark  waistcoats,  buttoned  high.  A  cap 
of  brown,  long-napped  plush  or  velveteen,  with 
a  peak,  on  their  heads  and  a  woollen  shawl  round 
their  necks.  .  .  . 

Our  hotel  at  Alkmaar  was  rather  a  curious  place. 
Large  rooms  with  great  beams  in  the  ceilings. 
The  salon  had  an  inner  room,  where  we  dined, 
with  beds  in  cupboards  and  handsome  walnut 
cabinets  like  those  we  saw  at  Broek.  One  piece 
of  furniture,  which  had  the  appearance  of  a  chest 
of  drawers,  opened  into  the  kitchen  and  vomited 
up  our  dinners.  .  .  . 

Between  Haarlem  and  Rotterdam  we  took  the 
third  class.  Our  carriage  was  filled  with  noisy 


PARIS  DURING  THE  CRIMEAN  WAR   239 

sailors,  chiefly  Dutch.  One  of  them  chaffed  an 
English  lad,  saying  '  English  run  away  at  Sebas- 
topol.'  " 

The  remainder   of  the   tour   does   not   call  for 
remark. 


CHAPTER  XI 

1872  : 

FRANCE  AFTER  THE  FRANCO -PRUSSIAN 

WAR 

IN  the  interval  since  the  last  journeyings  that 
we  followed,  Dr.  P.  M.  Roget,  the  little  boy 
of  our  earlier  chapters,  had  died  at  the  ripe 
age  of  ninety  (in  1869),  and  Mr.  J.  L.  Roget1 
had  himself  married,  in  1865,  Miss  Frances  Ditch- 
field.  Of  the  somewhat  extended  tour  that  he 
made  to  Italy  and  elsewhere  after  his  marriage 
we  have  no  account  to  offer,  and  our  next  pause 
is  for  a  glimpse  of  France  after  the  Franco-Prussian 
War,  from  some  notes  relating  to  a  short  tour, 
in  the  course  of  which  he  again  passed  through 
France,  Belgium  and  Holland  in  1872.  These 
reflect  post-war  conditions  of  very  much  less 

1  An  account  of  Mr.  J.  L.  Roget's  life  and  artistic  and  other 
work  is  published  in  the  Proceedings  of  the  Huguenot  Society  of 
London,  vol.  ix.,  No.  3,  and  examples  of  his  water-colour  sketches 
are  reproduced  in  a  little  book  by  the  present  editor  entitled 
Sketches  of  Deal,  Walmer  and  Sandwich.  His  best  known  literary 
work  is  the  two-volume  history  of  the  Royal  Society  of  Painters 
in  Water-colours,  to  which  reference  has  already  been  made. 

940 


AFTER  THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR  241 

severity  than  those  unfortunately  now  prevailing 
in  France,  but  are  not  without  interest. 

As  on  previous  occasions  to  which  we  have 
referred,  the  crossing  was  again  made  to  Antwerp, 
where  the  traveller  records  :  "  Great  improvements 
in  the  last  few  years,  by  raising  fortifications, 
filling  moats,  and  making  new  quarters  to  the 
city."  Little  did  he  think  then  that  Antwerp 
would  be  overrun  by  temporarily  triumphant 
Germans  in  less  than  fifty  years. 

There  is  little  to  dwell  upon  in  connection  with 
the  various  towns  visited  in  Belgium.  The  first 
reference  to  results  of  the  war  is  met  with  at 
Mezieres  : — 

**  Mezieres. — Detained  here  two  and  a  half  hours 
by  error  in  Belgian  train  book.  Walked  about 
clean  town.  Houses  seemed  newly  built.  Saw  no 
trace  of  the  war  except  a  chip  over  the  church 
door  and  the  presence  of  Prussian  soldiers,  one 
of  whom  walks  constantly  up  and  down  the  railway 
platform  with  his  rifle,  etc." 

Reference  is  again  made  in  the  journal  to  German 
soldiers  being  seen  in  Rethel,  and  passing  on, 
we  find  a  few  words  devoted  to  Rheims  which  are 
worth  quoting,  when  we  think  of  the  fate  of  the 
town  and  its  cathedral  at  the  hands  of  the  ruthless 
enemy  of  France  some  forty  years  later. 

"  Rheims  Cathedral. — Exterior  very  rich,  but 
in  a  false  style  of  decoration,  with  figures  and 

16 


242      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

animals  stuck  all  over  it  and  not  kept  subordinate 
to  the  construction.  The  towers  light  and  beau- 
tiful and  the  interior  of  fine  proportions  and 
solemn  effect,  with  completeness  and  unity.  .  .  . 
German  troops  here  in  plenty.  .  .  .  The  sentries 
loaf  about  in  a  very  different  way  from  ours  and 
hold  their  rifles  anyhow,  generally  pointed  at  one's 
stomach." 

At  Soissons  it  is  briefly  reported  :  "  No  German 
troops  here";  and  among  a  few  remarks  on  the 
scenery  beheld  from  the  train  on  the  way  to  Paris 
we  find :  "  Le  Bourget  Drancy,  a  large  plain 
bearing  traces  of  the  war  in  ruined  houses."  The 
most  interesting  reflection  of  the  conditions  is  in 
the  following  impressions  of  Paris  : — 

"  Paris. — Walked  out  and  saw  stump  (merely 
the  base)  of  the  Vendome  Column,  the  ruins  of 
the  Ministere  des  Finances  and  the  Tuileries. 
Both  are  complete  nothings,  but  a  part  of  the 
walls  is  standing.  From  the  Tuileries  Gardens 
you  can  see  through  to  the  horses  on  the  arch  in 
the  Place  du  Carrousel.  The  public  are  allowed 
to  walk  through  what  were  the  private  gardens 
and  up  to  the  wall  of  the  palace,  upon  which  is 
inscribed  4  Propriety  Nationale,'  '  Libert e,  Egalite, 
Fraternite.'  The  arcades  of  the  Rue  de  Rivoli 
and  the  Rue  de  la  Paix  are  chipped  and  knocked 
about,  but  are  patched  in  many  places  where 
there  have  been  shot  marks.  The  shops  in  the  Rue 


AFTER  THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR  243 

de  Rivoli  contain  illustrations,  photographs  and 
otherwise,  of  the  events  of  the  war  and  the  Com- 
munist insurrection,  without  reserve.  Ecosura's 
picture  of  the  Rue  de  Rivoli  and  the  burning 
Louvre  is  photographed,  and  there  are  toy  figures 
representing  a  Prussian  soldier  laden  with  plunder, 
including  clock  and  basket  of  champagne.  Photo- 
graphic cartes  of  the  ex-Emperor  of  the  French 
and  family,  Favre,  Gambetta,  the  Emperor  of 
Germany,  etc.,  side  by  side  with  French  actresses 
in  the  least  possible  amount  of  raiment.  The  trees 
in  Tuileries  Gardens  still  bear  marks  of  ill-usage, 
great  burns  on  their  bark;  but  many  gaps  have 
been  filled  up  with  young  trees,  so  that  the  thick- 
ness of  the  trunks  varies  very  much." 

It  is  rather  interesting  to  compare  the  monetary 
conditions  prevailing  in  Paris  after  the  two  wars. 
In  1872,  when  the  above  notes  were  made,  Mr. 
Roget  records  the  changing  of  circular  notes  for 
£20  into  505.50  francs,  a  rate  of  25.27  francs  to 
the  pound,  which  is  a  very  different  matter  from 
the  figure  of  over  60  attained  in  1920. 

Mr.  Roget  visited  the  nearer  parts  of  the  Con- 
tinent many  times  more  before  his  death  in  1908, 
as  is  testified  by  the  large  number  of  water-colour 
sketches  which  it  was  his  delight  to  make,  but  we 
have  no  written  account  to  offer  of  these  little 
tours. 


POSTSCRIPT 

THESE  examples  of  the  journey  ings  of  bygone 
generations  of  one  family,  commonplace  and 
unexciting  as  some  of  them  may  be,  bring  home 
to  us  the  magnitude  of  the  changes  that  have 
taken  place  in  methods  of  locomotion  during 
the  last  hundred  and  fifty  years ;  a  period  which 
has  seen  greater  changes  in  this  respect  than  has 
any  other  hundred  and  fifty  years  in  history,  and 
has  terminated  in  an  outlook  which  indicates  that 
the  future  will  bring  innovations  of  even  more  far- 
reaching  effect,  when  the  air  becomes  as  much  the 
highway  as  the  land  and  the  sea,  both  for  long 
and  for  short  journeys. 

In  these  pages  we  have  followed  our  travellers 
over  the  land  on  foot,  on  horseback,  in  carriages 
and  coaches  of  various  sorts,  in  railway  trains 
as  well  as  on  the  sea  in  sailing-boats  and  steamers, 
but  we  must  leave  the  chronicling  of  journeys 
back  on  the  road  again  in  motor-cars  and  by 
the  latest  and  fastest  means  of  travel,  by  the 
air,  to  others. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  period  that  we  have 
dealt  with,  the  somewhat  primitive  coaches  and 
carriages  of  the  day,  in  which  springs  even  were 


245 


246      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

regarded  with  suspicion  as  a  new-fangled  idea, 
were  hauled  by  long-suffering  horses  along  roads 
hardly  worthy  of  the  name,  and  goods,  when 
not  carried  by  the  pack-horse,  made  slow  pro- 
gress in  the  lumbering  wagon.  Soon,  however, 
the  pioneers  of  road  construction  improved  the 
surfaces  to  be  travelled  on  and  the  speed  and 
comfort  of  the  coach  increased.  By  this  time 
the  roadmaker's  brother- engineers  had  found 
and  were  developing  another  source  of  motive 
power  than  the  horse,  and  the  steam  engine, 
first  designed  for  stationary  purposes,  had  already 
been  applied  to  the  propulsion  of  boats  and  had 
given  men  a  new  weapon  to  fight  the  angry  moods 
of  wind  and  wave. 

The  first  attempt  to  apply  the  new  power  to 
road  traction  did  not  lead  to  permanent  success. 
The  steam  coach,  like  all  novelties,  was  laughed 
at,  mistrusted  and  opposed,  and  being  before 
its  time  was  not  given  a  fair  chance.  Steam, 
however,  soon  took  its  revenge  in  another  way, 
and  railways  developed,  and  these  ultimately 
almost  completely  destroyed  the  coach  industry, 
which  perhaps  might  have  been  continued  on 
the  roads  in  another  form.  For  many  years, 
the  railway  was  the  undisputed  holder  of  the 
field,  till  new  attempts  were  made  to  apply 
mechanical  traction  to  road  transport  as  a  conse- 
quence of  the  advent  of  the  light  internal-combus- 
tion engine  or  petrol  motor.  History  repeated  itself, 
but  this  time  the  opposition  to  the  novelty  was 


POSTSCRIPT  247 

not  so  successful.  The  Government  was  per- 
suaded grudgingly  to  permit  of  the  red  flag  being 
abolished,  and  a  little  band  of  pioneers  braved 
the  laughter  and  prejudice  of  the  thoughtless 
with  such  success  that  people  soon  began  to 
shake  their  wise  heads  and  ask  each  other  whether 
the  "  motor-car  had  come  to  stay."  The  pro- 
gress made  since  those  days  is  too  obvious  to 
need  comment.  With  the  advent  of  the  motor- 
bus,  the  motor-lorry  and  the  motor-coach,  it  is 
common  to  speak  of  passenger  and  goods  traffic 
coming  back  to  the  roads,  and  some  wiseacres 
assure  us  that  the  railways  are  doomed  and  that 
soon  their  tracks  will  be  torn  up  and  laid  with 
concrete.  Time  will,  however,  show  that  there  is 
ample  room  for  both. 

The  railway  itself  is  seeing  changes  too. 
Electricity  is  fast  being  adopted  in  place  of 
separate  steam  locomotives,  particularly  in  coun- 
tries where  water  power  is  more  abundant  than 
burnable  fuel,  and  in  urban  and  other  conditions 
where  the  advantages  of  cleanliness  and  central- 
ization of  power  are  particularly  felt,  and  heavy 
traffic  calls  for  rapid  acceleration. 

The  changes  have  been  no  less  revolutionary 
on  the  sea.  The  large  turbine-driven  steamer 
which  to-day  takes  us  in  all  weathers  in  an  hour 
from  Dover  to  Calais  is  as  different  from  the 
uncertain  little  sailing-packet  which,  after  being 
delayed  a  day  by  contrary  winds,  once  took  fifteen 
hours  to  cross  (and  whose  passengers  had  to 


248      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 

wait  a  further  four  hours  for  the  gates  of  Calais 
to  open),  as  the  train  de  luxe  is  from  the  ancient 
diligence.  Perhaps  before  long  it,  too,  will  have 
to  take  a  second  place,  while  fast  electric  trains 
hurry  their  loads  of  passengers  through  a  Channel 
tunnel.  On  the  water,  too,  steam  no  longer  holds 
undisputed  sway.  The  internal-combustion  engine 
is  doing  for  small  craft  what  it  did  for  the  road 
vehicle,  and,  as  on  land,  it  holds  the  record  for 
the  highest  speeds.  The  big,  heavy  oil  engine  is 
also  finding  increasing  application  for  larger  ships. 
Electricity,  too,  has  had  its  influence.  It  rendered 
travel  under  the  sea  in  the  insidious  submarine 
possible,  and  on  a  large  scale  is  being  applied 
to  obtain  improved  efficiency  of  transmission  and 
control  of  the  largest  vessels,  particularly  in  the 
American  Navy. 

It  is,  however,  in  the  third  element,  the  air, 
that  the  progress  has  been  most  remarkable  and 
in  which  the  most  revolutionary  changes  of  the 
future  are  to  be  expected.  It  is  barely  twelve 
years  ago  that  Bleriot,  after  waiting  days  for 
weather,  got  across  the  Channel  and  crashed  in 
a  field  at  Dover  (on  July  25,  1909),  and  now 
daily  aerial  passenger  and  mail  services  run  between 
London  and  Paris  and  other  continental  towns. 
The  Atlantic  has  been  crossed  by  aeroplane  and 
airship,  four  adventurous  spirits  have  travelled 
from  England  to  Australia  by  aeroplane,  and 
if  the  results  of  the  technical  developments  due 
to  the  stimulus  of  the  war  had  not  been  counter- 


POSTSCRIPT  249 

balanced  by  the  economic  depression  which  that 
calamity  produced,  the  leviathans  of  the  air 
would  even  now  be  competing  with  the  floating 
palaces  of  the  ocean  in  transporting  their  loads 
of  passengers  to  far-off  lands. 


INDEX 


Aire,  16 

Aix  la-Chapelle,  180 

Alf,  218 

Alkmaar,  236 

Alleghany  Mountains,  138,  140 

Altenahr,  224 

Amiens,  66 

Amsterdam,  234 

Antwerp,  44,  178,  208,  232,  241 

Arberg,  124,  188 

Arona,  203 

Balmat,  Jaques,  87,  198 
Balsthal,  37 
Basle,  37,  186,  205 
Bedford  (U.S.A.),  138 
Beelitz,  131 
Beilstein,  218 
Bellegarde,  85,  86 
Bergen-op-Zoom,  232 
Berlin,  131,  132 
Berncastel,  217 
Berne,  34,  189 
Berwick,  57 
Bie  bench,  183 
Bienne,  188 
Bingen,  223 
Birmingham,  62 
Blackwall,  175,  226 
Blazed  roads,  154 
Boulton,  Matthew,  58 
Bonn,  182,  224,  225 
Bon  Pas  Creek,  151 
Borroraean  Islands,  203 
Boulogne,  46 
Breda,  44 
Briare,  79 
Brock,  235 
Brodenbach,  220 
Brohl,  223 


Bruges,  225 
Brugg,  124 
Brussels,  206,  210 
Buckholtz,  214 

Buntingford,  52 
Buren,  124 
Butgenbach,  211 

Cabriolet,  25 

Calais,  63,  166 

Canterbury,  14,  47 

Casselberg,  212 

Certificate  of  Genevese  citizenship, 

112 

Chambersburg,  137 
Chamonix,  197 
Chantilly,  66 
Char-a-banc,  197 
Chatellerault,  12 
Chatel  St.  Denis,  191 
Chaudfontaine,  210 
Chauvet,  David,  86 
Chiavenna,  205 
Cincinnati,  141 
Coaches,  48,  58,  169,  245 
Coaches,  steam,  170,  246 
Coal  Hill,  140 
Cohern,  220 
Coblentz,  183,  221 
Cochem,  218 
Colico,  205 
Coligny,  195 
Cologne,  205 
Commodity,  79 
Como,  205 
Coppet,  192 
Cosne,  80 

Cove  Mountain,  138 
Coventry,  47 
Crimean  War,  230 


191 


252      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 


Croisiere,  78 
Croydon,  206 

Darlington,  56 

Darmstadt,  128 

Daun,  213 

Delessert,  Etienne,  116 

De  Stael,  Madame,  108,  117 

Diligence,  25,  30,  211 

Dochweiler,  213 

Doncaster,  54 

Dover,  14,  49,  63,  64,  158,  206 

Dumont,  Etienne,  13 

Dupuch,  General,  95,   100 

Edgeworth,   Lovell,  74,    103,    109, 

135 

Eckersdorf,  133 
Eckfeld,  214 
Edinburgh,  48,  57 
Ehrenbach,  220 
Eifel,  208 
Eisenach,  130 
Elizabethtown,  137 
Ellenz,  218 
Elz,  219 
Enfield,  52 
Epinal,  40 
Erfurt,  130 
Eutin,  133 

Faido,  203 
Fehrbellin,  132 
Flechingen,  125 
Folkestone,  206 
Fontainebleau,  76,  231 
Fontenay,  79 
Frankfort,  128,  222 
Fribourg,  191 
Fulda,  130 

Gehihaueen,  130 

Gemmi  Pass,  203 

Geneva,     18,     30,     86,     89,     112, 

192 

Gerand  le  Puy,  82 
Gerolstein,  211 
Ghent,  225 
Gimenden,  34 
Girtin,  Thomas,  71 
Gotha,  130 
Grand  Chartreuse,  22 


Grand  St.  Bernard,  199 
Grantham,  53 
Grenoble,  25 
Grindelwald,  203 
Grosslitgen,  216 
Gruyeres,  191 
Guensburg,  138 

Haarlem,  233,  238 
Hackney  coach,  174,  207 
Hague,  The,  232 
Hanau,  130 
Harfleur,  163 
Harmony,  155 
Harrisburg,  137 
Havre,  169,  228 
Heidelberg,  127,  184,  223 
Heilbron,  127 
Hejvoetsluys,  45 
Herzog-buchzee,  124 
Hillesheim,  211 
Hintersweiler,  213 
Hobson,  Jonathan,  136 
Hobson,  Samuel,  136,  228 
Huntingdon,  52 
Husum,  130,  133 

Interlaken,  203 

Kehl,  185,  206 
Kiel,  133 
Kirchweiler,  213 
Kyll,  211,  212 
Kyritz,  132 

La  Charite,  80 

Laach,  224 

Lancaster,  137 

Lauffen,  187 

Lausanne,  19,  33,  46 

Leipzig,  131 

Lettre,  40 

Liddes,  199 

Liege,  179,  210 

Locomotion,  methods  of,  245 

Loesche  (Leuk),  202 

London,  46,  168,  206,  208 

Longwy,  42 

Lorraine,  41 

Losheim,  211 

Louisville,  144 

Louvain,  43 


INDEX 


253 


Lubeck,  133 
Lucerne,  203 
Lyons,  22,  84 

Major  t  213 

McConnell's  Town,  138 

Madison  ville,   145 

Maggiore,  Lake,  203 

Malines,  43,  210,  225 

Malmedy,  210 

Manchester,  62,  135 

Mandersheid,  214 

Mannheim,  127,  184,  206,  223 

Mantes,  165 

Martigny,  199,  200 

Mayence,  184,  222 

Meiringen,  203 

Mer  de  Glace,  198 

Metz,  Roman  aqueduct  near,  41 

M&zieres,  241 

Milan,  203 

Minderlitgen,  216 

Mogadino,  203 

Monnikendam,  235 

Monongehala  River,  140 

Montalieul,  85 

Montanvert,  198 

Montarnis,  79 

Montreuil,  66 

Mont  Tarare,  83 

Monza,  205 

Morat,  33 

Merges,  118,  192 

Moselkem,  220 

Moselle,  River,  208,  217 

Moudon,  33 

Moulins,  81 

Miiden,  220 

Mulhouse,  39 

Narnur,  42 

Nancy,  40 

Napoleon  (Buonaparte),  72,  93 

Napoleon  III,  229 

Nauembourg,  131 

Neckar,  River,  184 

Nemours,  78 

Neuchatel,  113,   121,  123 

New  Albany,  147 

Newark,  53 

Newcastle,  56 

Nion,  118 


Ohio,  River,  140 
Ostend,  21,  206,  225 
Owensburg,  147 

Packets,  sailing,  14,  21,  45,  46,  64, 

247 

Packets,  steam,  158 
Paris,  25,  28,  30,  66,  165,  228,  242 
Pascal,  82 
Passport,  117 
Pavannes,  187 
Payerne,  33 
Pelm,  213 
Pepinster,  210 
Perleberg,  133 
Peschier,  M.,  78 
Philadelphia,  137 
Pigeon  Creek,   148 
Pilgrims,  42,  213,  224 
Pittsburg,  139 
Pont  d'Ain,  85 
Pouilly,  80 
Portsmouth,  160 
Post  chaises,  21 
Potsdam,  131 
Princeton,  148,  157 
Purmerend,  234 
Puy  de  D6me,  82 

Quilleboeuf,  164 

Ragatz,  205 

Railways,  171,  246 

Reigate,  206 

Reil,  217 

Remagen,  224 

Remiremont,  40 

Rethal,  241 

Rheims,  241 

Rhine,  River,  125,  182,  205,  222 

Rhone,  River,  193 

Roanne,  82 

Roget,  Catherine  (nit  Romilly),  11, 

12,  29,  32,  168 
Roget,  Jean,  11,  13,  29 
Roget,  Jean  Samuel,  110 
Roget,  John  Lewis,  168,  173,  174, 

208,  228,  240,  243 
Roget,  Mary  Taylor  (n4e  Hobson), 

136,  168 
Roget,  Peter  Mark,  12,  19,  29,  48, 

62,  89,  136,  158,  173,  240 


254      TRAVEL   IN   TWO   CENTURIES 


Rolle,  192 

Romilly,  Peter,  11 

Romffly,  (Sir)  Samuel,  12,    19,  29, 

32,  116 
Rotherist,  124 
Rothweil,  125 
Rotterdam,  44,  232,  238 
Rouen,  163,  164 

St.  Cloud,  230 

St.  Dezier,  17 

St.  Gothard,  203 

St.  Martin,  197 

Salene,  196 

Sardinia,  196 

Schaffhausen,  205 

Schalkenmeere,  214 

Scheldt,  River,  177 

Schweningen,  232 

Schwerin,  133 

S&heron,  94,  97,  109,  117,  118 

Sedlingen,  125 

Senheim,  218 

Shipping  port,  147 

Sierre,  201 

Sion,  201 

Smith,  Sidney,  59 

Soissons,  242 

Soleure,  37 

South-Eastern  Railway,  207 

Southampton,  159,  228 

Spa,  210 

Stamford,  53 

Stilton,  53 

Strasbourg,  185,  205 

Stoyistown,  138 

Stuttgart,  121,  125 

Susquehanna,  River,  137 


Talleyrand,  116 
Tete  Noir,  199 
Thann,  40 

Theatres  in  Paris,  71 
Tirlemont,  179 
Tonbridge,  206 
Trahen,  217 
Traubroy,  37 
Tuben,  131 
Turner,  63,  159,  173 

United  States,  136 

Vach,  130 

Velocifer,  203 

Verdun,  108,  117,  135 

Versailles,  26 

Versoix,  117 

Venders,  179,  225 

Vevey,  191,  145 

Vietlisbach,  37 

Voiremb6  (Varemb6),  94,  96 

Wabash,  River,  148,  150 
Waldshut,  205 
Ware,  52 
Watt,  James,  62 
Weimar,  131 
Weissenfels,  131 
Whitworth,  Lord,  92 
Wiesbaden,  183 
Wildeck,  124 
Wittenberg,  131 
Wittlich,  216 

York,  54 
Zursach,  125 


Printed  in  Great  Britain  by 

CNWIK  BBOTHEBB,  LIMITED 
WOK IX O  AND  LONDON 


PRACTICAL  HANDBOOKS 
FOR     COLLECTORS 

Most  people  nowadays  are  collectors  in  a  small 
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UNWIN'S     "CHATS"      SERIES 

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and  is  richly  illustrated  with  admirable  reproductions. 

"  A  treatise  that  is  so  informing  and  comprehensive  that  it  commands 
the  prompt  recognisation  of  all  who  value  the  choice  productions  of 
the  oriental  artists.  .  .  .  The  illustrations  are  numerous  and  invalu- 
able to  the  attainment  of  expert  knowledge,  and  the  result  is  a  hand- 
book that  ia  as  indispensable  as  it  is  unique."  Pall  Mall  Gazette. 

T.  FISHER  UNWIN  LTD..  1   ADELPHI  TERRACE,    LONDON.  W.C.2 


UNWIN'S     "CHATS"     SERIES 

Chats  on  English  Earthenware*  A  companion  volume 
to  "  Chats  on  English  China."  By  ARTHUR  HAYDEN. 
With  a  coloured  frontispiece,  150  Illustrations  and  tables 
of  over  200  illustrated  marks.  Cloth, 

10s.  6d.  net.  Third  Impression. 

"  To  the  ever-increasing  number  of  collectors  who  are  taking 
an  interest  in  old  English  pottery  .  .  .  will  be  found  one  of 
the  most  delightful,  as  it  is  a  practical  work  on  a  fascinating 
subject."  Hearth  and  Home. 

"  Here  we  have  a  handbook,  written  by  a  well-known  authority, 
which  gives  in  the  concisest  possible  form  all  the  information  that 
the  beginner  in  earthenware  collecting  is  likely  to  need.  Moreover, 
it  contains  one  or  two  features  that  are  not  usually  found  in  the 
multifarious  '  guides  '  that  are  produced  to-day."  Nation. 

Chats  on  Autographs.  By  A.  M.  BROADLEY.  With 
130  Illustrations.  Cloth,  6s.  net. 

"  Being  an  expert  collector,  Mr.  Broadley  not  only  discourses  on 
the  kinds  of  autograph  he  owns,  but  gives  some  excellent  cautionary 
advice  and  a  valuable  '  caveat  emptor '  chapter  for  the  benefit  of 
other  collectors."  Westminster  Gazette. 

"  It  is  assuredly  the  best  work  of  the  kind  yet  given  to  the  public ; 
and  supplies  the  intending  collector  with  the  various  sources  of  infor- 
mation necessary  to  his  equipment."  Manchester  Guardian. 

Chats  on  Old  Pewter.  By  H.  J.  L.  J.  MASSE,  M.A.  With 
52  half-tone  and  numerous  other  Illustrations.  Cloth, 
10s.  6d.  net.  Second  Impression. 

"  It  is  a  remarkably  thorough  and  well-arranged  guide  to  the  subject, 
supplied  with  useful  illustrations  and  with  lists  of  pewterers  and  of 
their  marks  so  complete  as  to  make  it  a  very  complete  and  satis- 
factory book  of  reference."  Manchester  Guardian. 
"  Before  setting  out  to  collect  old  pewter  it  would  be  as  well  to  read 
Mr.  Masse's  book,  which  is  exhaustive  in  its  information  and  its 
lists  of  pewterers,  analytical  index,  and  historical  and  technical 
chapters."  Spectator. 

Chats  on  Postage  Stamps.  By  FRED  J.  MELVILLE. 
With  57  half-tone  and  17  line  Illustrations.  Cloth, 

10s.  6d.  net.  Second  Impression. 

"  The  whole  book,  with  its  numerous  illustrations  of  excellent  quality, 
is  a  vade  mecum  for  stamp  collectors,  even  though  their  efforts  may 
be  but  modest ;  we  congratulate  Mr.  Melville  on  a  remarkably  good 
guide,  which  makes  fascinating  reading."  Academy. 

"  There  is  no  doubt  that  Mr.  Melville's  book  fills  a  void.  There  is 
nothing  exactly  like  it.  Agreeably  written  in  a  popular  style  and 
adequately  illustrated,  it  is  certainly  one  of  the  best  guides  to  phila- 
telic knowledge  that  have  yet  been  published."  World. 

T.  FISHER  UNWIN  LTD..   1  ADELPHI  TERRACE,  LONDON.  W.C.2 


UNWIN'S     "CHATS"      SERIES 

Chats  on  Old  Jewellery  and  Trinkets.  By  MAC!VER 
PERCIVAL.  With  nearly  300  Illustrations.  Cloth,  6s.  net. 
"  The  book  is  very  thorough,  dealing  as  it  does  with  classic,  antique 
and  modern  ornaments  ;  with  gold,  silver,  steel  and  pinchbeck  ;  with 
the  precious  stones,  the  commoner  stones  and  imitation." — Outlook. 
"  '  Chats  on  Old  Jewellery  and  Trinkets  '  is  a  book  which  will  enable 
every  woman  to  turn  over  her  jewel-case  with  a  fresh  interest  and 
a  new  intelligence  ;  a  practical  guide  for  the  humble  but  anxious 
collector.  ...  A  good  glossary  of  technicalities  and  many  excel- 
lent illustrations  complete  a  valuable  contribution  to  collector's 
lore."  Illustrated  London  News. 

Chats  on  Cottage  and  Farmhouse  Furniture.  A  com- 
panion volume  to  "  Chats  on  Old  Furniture."  By  ARTHUR 
HAYDEN.  With  a  coloured  frontispiece  and  75  other 
Illustrations.  Cloth,  15s.  net.  Third  Impression. 

"  One  gets  very  much  for  one's  money  in  this  book.  Seventy-three 
full-page  illustrations  in  half-tone  embellish  a  letterpress  which  is 
replete  with  wise  description  and  valuable  hints."  Vanity  Fair. 

"  Mr.  Hayden's  book  is  a  guide  to  all  sorts  of  desirable  and  simple 
furniture,  from  Stuart  to  Georgian,  and  it  is  a  delight  to  read  as  well 
as  a  sure  help  to  selection."  Pall  Mall  Gazette. 

"  Mr.  Hayden  writes  lucidly  and  is  careful  and  accurate  in  his  state- 
ments ;  while  the  advice  he  gives  to  collectors  is  both  sound  and 
reasonable."  Westminster  Gazette. 

Chats  on  Old  Coins.  By  FRED  W.  BURGESS.  With  a 
coloured  frontispiece  and  258  other  Illustrations.  Cloth, 
10s.  6d.  net.  Second  Impression. 

"  A  most  useful  and  instructive  book  .  .  .  will  prove  a  boon  to  the 
intending  collector  of  old  coins  and  tokens,  and  full  of  interest  to 
every  collector.  As  was  to  be  expected  of  any  volume  of  this  series, 
the  illustrations  are  numerous  and  good,  and  greatly  assist  the  reader 
to  grasp  the  essentials  of  the  author's  descriptions."  Outlook. 

"  The  author  has  not  only  produced  '  a  practical  guide  for  the  col- 
lector '  but  a  handy  book  of  reference  for  all.  The  volume  is  wonder- 
fully cheap."  Notes  and  Queries. 

Chats  on  Old  Copper  and  Brass.  By  FRED  W. 
BURGESS.  With  a  coloured  frontispiece  and  86  other 
Illustrations.  Cloth,  6s.  net. 

"  Mr.  F.  W.  Burgess  is  an  expert  on  old  copper  and  bronze,  and  in  his 
book  there  is  little  information  lacking  which  the  most  ardent 
collector  might  want."  The  Observer. 

"  Italian  bronzes,  African  charms,  Chinese  and  Japanese  enamels, 
bells,  mortars,  Indian  idols,  dials,  candlesticks,  and  snuff  boxes, 
all  come  in  for  their  share  of  attention,  and  the  reader  who  has 
mastered  Mr.  Burgess's  pages  can  face  his  rival  in  the  auction- 
room  or  the  dealer  in  his  shop  with  little  fear  of  suffering  by  the 
transaction."  The  Nation. 

T.   FISHER   UNW1N   LTD..    1    ADELPHI    TKRRACE.   LONDON,  W.C.8 


UNWIN'S     "CHATS"     SERIES 

Chats  on  Household  Curios.  By  FRED  W.  BURGESS. 
With  94  Illustrations.  Cloth,  6s.  net. 

"  Mr.  Burgess  gives  much  information  about  such  attractive  antiques 
as  old  glass  and  enamels,  old  leather  work,  old  clocks  and  watches, 
old  pipes,  old  seals,  musical  instruments,  and  even  old  samplers  and 
children's  toys.  The  book  is,  in  short,  an  excellent  and  compre- 
hensive guide  for  what  one  may  call  the  general  collector,  that  is, 
the  collector  who  does  not  confine  himself  to  one  class  of  antique, 
but  buys  whatever  he  comes  across  in  the  curio  line,  provided  that 
it  is  interesting  and  at  moderate  price."  Aberdeen  Free  Preaa. 

Chats  on  Japanese  Prints.  By  ARTHUR  DAVISON 
FICKE.  With  a  coloured  frontispiece  and  56  Illustra- 
tions. Cloth,  6s.  net.  Third  Impression. 
"  Mr.  Ficke  writes  with  the  knowledge  of  the  expert,  and  his  history 
of  Japanese  printing  from  very  early  times  and  his  criticism  of  the 
artists'  work  are  wonderfully  interesting."  Taller. 
"  This  is  one  of  the  most  delightful  and  notable  members  of  an 
attractive  series.  ...  A  beginner  who  shall  have  mastered  and  made 
thoroughly  his  own  the  beauty  of  line  and  the  various  subtlety  and  bold- 
ness of  linear  composition  displayed  in  these  sixty  and  odd  photographs 
will  have  no  mean  foundation  for  further  study." — Notes  and  Queries. 

Chats  on  Old  Clocks.  By  ARTHUR  HAYDEN.  With  a 
frontispiece  and  80  Illustrations.  2nd  Ed.  Cloth,  10s.  6d.  net. 
"  A  practical  handbook  dealing  with  the  examples  of  old  clocks  likely 
to  come  under  the  observation  of  the  collector.  Charmingly  written 
and  illustrated."  Outlook. 

"  One  specially  useful  feature  of  the  work  is  the  prominence  Mr. 
Hayden  has  given  to  the  makers  of  clocks,  dealing  not  only  with 
those  of  London,  but  also  those  of  the  leading  provincial  towns.  The 
lists  he  gives  of  the  latter  are  highly  valuable,  as  they  are  not  to  be 
found  in  any  similar  book.  The  volume  is,  as  usual  with  this  series, 
profusely  illustrated,  and  may  be  recommended  as  a  highly  interesting 
and  useful  general  guide  to  collectors  of  clocks."  The  Connoisseur. 

Chats  on  Old  Silver.  By  ARTHUR  HAYDEN.  With  a 
frontispiece,  99  full-page  Illustrations,  and  illustrated 
table  of  marks.  Cloth,  10s.  6d.  net.  Third  Impression. 
"  Mr.  Hayden's  '  Chats  on  Old  Silver '  deals  very  thoroughly  with  a 
popular  branch  of  collecting.  There  are  a  hundred  full-page  illus- 
trations together  with  illustrated  tables  and  charts,  and  the  student 
of  this  book  can  wander  round  the  old  curiosity  shops  of  these  islands 
with  a  valuable  equipment  of  knowledge.  .  .  .  Altogether  we  have 
here  a  well-written  summary  of  everything  that  one  could  wish  to 
know  about  this  branch  of  collecting."  The  Sphere. 

"  The  information  it  gives  will  be  of  exceptional  value  at  this  time, 
when  so  many  families  will  be  forced  to  part  with  their  treasures — 
and  eld  silver  is  among  the  most  precious  possessions  of  the  present 
day."  Morning  Post. 

T    FISHER  UNWIN  LTD.,   1   ADELPHI  TERRACE.    LONDON.  W.C.2 


UN  WIN'S     "CHATS"     SERIES 

Chats  on  Military  Curios.  By  STANLEY  C.  JOHNSON, 
M.A.,  D.Sc.  With  a  coloured  frontispiece  and  79  other 
Illustrations.  Cloth,  6s.  net. 

"  Mr.  Johnson  in  this  book  describes  many  of  the  articles  a  collector 
should  be  on  the  look  out  for,  giving  short  but  informative  notes  on 
medals,  helmet  and  cap  badges,  tunic  buttons,  armour,  weapons  of 
all  kinds,  medallions,  autographs,  original  documents  relating  to 
Army  work,  military  pictures  and  prints,  newspaper  cuttings,  obso- 
lete uniforms,  crests,  stamps,  postmarks,  memorial  brasses,  money 
and  curios  made  by  prisoners  of  war,  while  there  is  also  an  excellent 
biography  on  the  subject.  The  author  has,  indeed,  presented  the 
reader  with  a  capital  working  handbook,  which  should  prove  a  friendly 
and  reliable  guide  when  he  goes  collecting."  Field. 


Chats  on  Royal  Copenhagen  Porcelain.  By  ARTHUR 
HAYDEN.  With  a  frontispiece,  56  full-page  Illustrations 
and  illustrated  tables  of  marks.  Cloth,  10s.  6d.  net. 

"  This  very  beautiful  and  very  valuable  book  will  be  eagerly  wel- 
comed by  lovers  of  porcelain.  .  .  .  Mr.  Hayden  describes  with  great 
gkill  and  preciseness  all  the  quality  and  beauty  of  technique  in  which 
this  porcelain  excels  ;  he  loves  it  and  understands  it,  and  the  examples 
he  has  chosen  as  illustrations  are  a  valuable  supplement  to  his 
descriptions."  Bookman. 


Chats  on  Old  Sheffield  Plate.  By  ARTHUR  HAYDEN. 
With  frontispiece  and  58  full-page  Illustrations,  together 
with  makers'  marks.  Cloth,  21s.  net. 

Old  plated  ware  has,  by  reason  of  its  artistic  excellence 
and  its  technique,  deservedly  won  favour  with  collectors. 
The  art  of  making  plated  ware,  which  originated  at  Sheffield 
(hence  the  name  "  Sheffield  plate "),  was  continued  at 
Birmingham  and  London,  where  a  considerable  amount 
of  "old  Sheffield  plate  "  was  made,  in  the  manner  of  its 
first  inventors,  by  welding  sheets  of  silver  upon  copper. 
The  manufacture  lasted  roughly  a  hundred  years.  Its 
best  period  was  from  1776  (American  Declaration  of 
Independence)  to  1880  (Accession  of  William  IV).  The 
author  shows  reasons  why  this  old  Sheffield  plate  should 
be  collected,  and  the  volume  is  illustrated  with  many 
examples  giving  various  styles  and  the  development  of  the 
art,  together  with  makers'  marks.  Candlesticks  and 

T.   FISHER  UNW1N  LTD..   1   ADELPHI  TERRACE.  LONDON.  W.C.2 


candelabra,  tea-caddies,  sugar-baskets,  salt-cellars,  tea- 
pots, coffee-pots,  salvers,  spoons,  and  many  other  articles 
shown  and  described  in  the  volume  indicate  the  exquisite 
craftsmanship  of  the  best  period.  The  work  stands  as  a 
companion  volume  to  the  author's  "  Chats  on  Old  Silver," 
the  standard  practical  guide  to  old  English  silver  collecting. 

Bye  Paths  in  Curio  Collecting.  By  ARTHUR  HAYDEN, 
Author  of  "  Chats  on  Old  Silver,"  etc.  With  a  frontis- 
piece and  72  full-page  Illustrations.  Cloth, 
21s.  net.  Second  Impression. 
"  Every  collector  knows  the  name  of  Mr.  Arthur  Hayden,  and  knows 
him  for  a  wise  counsellor.  Upon  old  furniture,  old  china,  old  pottery, 
and  old  prints  there  is  no  more  knowing  judge  in  the  country ;  and 
in  his  latest  volume  he  supplies  a  notable  need,  in  the  shape  of  a  vade- 
mecum  exploring  some  of  the  nondescript  and  little  traversed  bye- 
paths  of  the  collector.  There  was  never  a  time  when  the  amateur 
of  the  antique  stood  more  in  need  of  a  competent  guide.  .  .  . 
The  man  who  wishes  to  avoid  the  pitfalls  of  the  fraudulent  will 
find  much  salutary  advice  in  Mr.  Hayden's  gossipy  pages. 
There  are  chests,  for  example,  a  fruitful  field  for  reproduction. 
Mr.  Hayden  gives  photographs  of  many  exquisite  examples.  There 
is  a  marriage  coffer  of  the  sixteenth  century,  decorated  with  carved 
figures  of  Cupid  and  Hymen,  a  fine  Gothic  chest  of  the  fifteenth  cen- 
tury, with  rich  foliated  decorations ;  and  a  superb  livery  cupboard 
from  Haddon  Hall.  From  Flanders  come  steel  coffers,  with  a  lock 
of  four  bolts,  the  heavy  sides  strongly  braized  together.  Then  there 
are  snuffers,  with  and  without  trays,  tinder-boxes,  snuff  graters,  and 
metal  tobacco  stoppers.  The  most  fascinating  designs  are  shown, 
with  squirrels,  dogs,  and  quaint  human  figures  at  the  summit.  Fans 
and  playing-cards  provide  another  attractive  section. 

Chicken-skin,  delicate,  white, 

Painted  by  Carlo  van  Loo. 

The  fan  has  always  been  an  object  of  the  collector's  passion,  because 
of  the  grace  of  the  article  and  its  beauty  as  a  display.  Mr.  Hayden 
shows  a  particularly  beautiful  one,  with  designs  after  Fragonard, 
the  sticks  of  ivory  with  jewelled  studs.  Then  there  are  watch-stands, 
a  little  baroque  in  design,  and  table-bells,  some  of  them  shaped  as 
female  figures  with  spreading  skirts,  old  toys  and  picture-books,  and, 
of  course,  cradles,  of  which  every  English  farm-house  once  boasted 
its  local  variety.  Altogether  the  book  abounds  in  inviting  pictures 
and  curious  information,  and  is  certain  of  a  large,  appreciative 
public."  Daily  Telegraph. 

The  Fan  Book :  Including  Special  Chapters  on  European 
Fans  of  the  Seventeenth  and  Eighteenth  Centuries.  By 
MAC!VER  PERCIVAL,  author  of  "  Chats  on  Old  Jewellery  and 
Trinkets."  Fully  Illustrated.  Demy  8vo,  cloth,  21s.  net. 

T.    FISHER  UNWIN  ..   1   ADELPHI  TERRACE.  LONDON.  W.C  2 


POETRY    THAT 

.        JL      t~JL    Jtv   J.    JLrf    I  J 


A  COLLECTION  OF 
SONGS  FROM  OVERSEAS  THAT  THRILL  WITH  VIVID 
DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THE  ADVENTUROUS  LIFE  IN  THE 
FROZEN  NORTH,  IN  THE  OUTPOSTS  OF  CIVILIZATION 
AND  OF  THE  HEROISM  OF  SOLDIERS  IN  BATTLE 


SONGS  OF  A  SOURDOUGH.  By  ROBERT  W.  SERVICE. 
Crown  8vo.  Cloth,  4/6  net.  Fortieth  Impression. 

Also  a  Pocket  edition.  Fcap.  8vo,  cloth,  4/6  net. 

"  Of  the  Canadian  disciples  of  Kipling,  by  far  the  best  is  R.  W.  Service. 
His  '  Songs  of  a  Sourdough  '  have  run  through  many  editions.  Much, 
of  his  verse  has  a  touch  of  real  originality,  conveying  as  it  does  a  just 
impression  of  the  something  evil  and  askew  in  the  strange,  uncouth 
wilderness  of  the  High  North."  The  Times. 

"  Mr.  Service  has  got  nearer  to  the  heart  of  the  old-time  place  miner 
than  any  other  verse-maker  in  all  the  length  and  height  of  the 
Dominion.  .  .  .  He  certainly  sees  the  Northern  Wilderness  through 
the  eyes  of  the  man  into  whose  soul  it  is  entered."  Morning  Post. 

RHYMES  OF  A  RED-CROSS  MAN.  By  ROBERT  W. 
SERVICE.  Crown  8vo.  Cloth,  4/6  net.  Sixth  Impression. 
Also  a  Pocket  edition.  Fcap.  8vo,  cloth,  4/6  net. 

"  It  is  the  great  merit  of  Mr.  Service's  verses  that  they  are  literally 
alive  with  the  stress  and  joy  and  agony  and  hardship  that  make  up 
life  out  in  the  battle  zone.  He  has  never  written  bettor  than  in  this 
book,  and  that  is  saying  a  great  deal."  Bookman. 

"Mr.  Service  has  painted  for  us  the  unutterable  tragedy  of  the  war,  the 
horror,  the  waste,  and  the  suffering,  but  side  by  side  with  that  he 
has  set  the  heroism,  the  endurance,  the  unfailing  cheerfulness  and  the 
unquenchable  laughter."  Scot*  Pictorial. 

T.  FISHER  UNWIN  LTD.,  1  Adelphi  Terrace,  London.  W.C.2 


POETRY    THAT    T  H  R  I  L  L  S-contd. 

BALLADS      OF      A      CHEECHAKO.    By  ROBEET    W. 

SERVICE.    Crown  8vo.    Cloth,  4/6  net.  Fourteenth 

Impression.             Also  a  Pocket  edition.  Fcap.  8vo, 

Cloth,  4/6  net. 

"It  is  to  men  like  Mr.  Service  that  we  must  look  for  really  original 
verse  nowadays  ;  to  the  men  on  the  frontiers  of  the  world.  '  Ballads 
of  a  Checchnko  '  is  magniBcent."  Oxford  Magazine. 

"  All  are  interesting,  arresting,  and  worth  rending  in  their  own 
setting  for  their  own  sakes.  They  are  full  of  life  and  fire  and 
muscularity,  like  the  strenuous  and  devil-may-care  fight  of  a  life 
they  describe."  Standard. 

RHYMES  OF  A  ROLLING  STONE.  By  ROBERT  W. 
SERVICE.  Crown  Svo.  Cloth,  4/6  net.  Fifteenth 
Impression.  Also  a  Pocket  edition.  Fcap.  Svo, 

Cloth,  4/6  net. 

"  There  is  real  rollicking  fun  in  some  of  the  rhymed  stories,  and  some 
sound  philosophy  in  the  shorter  serious  poems  which  shows  that 
Mr.  Service  is  as  many  steps  above  the  ordinary  lesser  poets  in  his 
thought  as  he  is  in  his  accomplishments."  Academy. 

"  Mr.  Robert  Service  is,  we  suppose,  one  of  the  most  popular  verse- 
writers  in  the  world.  His  swinging  measures,  his  robust  ballads  of 
the  outposts,  his  joy  of  living  have  fairly  caught  the  ear  of  his 
countrymen."  Spectator. 

THE  SPELL  OF  THE  TROPICS.  By  RANDOLPH 
H.  ATKIN.  Cloth,  4/6  net.  Second  Impression. 

The  poems  are  striking  pen -pictures  of  life  as  it  is  lived  by 
those  men  of  the  English-speaking  races  whose  lot  is  cast 
in  the  sun-bathed  countries  of  Latin-America.  Mr.  Atkin's 
verses  will  reach  the  hearts  of  all  who  feel  the  call  of  the 
wanderlust,  and,  having  shared  their  pleasures  and  hard- 
ships, his  poems  will  vividly  recall  to  "  old-timers  "  bygone 
memories  of  days  spent  in  the  Land  of  the  Coconut  Tree. 

T.  FISHER  UNWIN  LTD.,  1  Adelphi  Terrace,  London,  W.C.2 


POETRY    THAT    T  H  R I  L  L  S-contd. 

THE  SONG  OF  TIADATHA.  By  OWEN  RUTTER. 
Cloth,  4/6  net.  Third  Impression. 

Composed  on  the  familiar  metre  of  "  Hiawatha,"  "  The 
Song  of  Tiadatha "  (Tired  Arthur),  an  extravaganza 
written  in  the  highest  spirits,  nevertheless  is  an  epic 
of  the  war.  It  typifies  what  innumerable  soldiers  have 
seen  and  done  and  the  manner  in  which  they  took  it. 

"  This  song  of  Tiadatha  is  nothing  less  than  a  little  English  epic  of 
the  war."  The  Morning  Post. 

"  Every  Army  officer  and  ex -officer  will  hail  Tiadatha  as  a  brother. 
'  The  Song  of  Tiadatha '  is  one  of  the  happiest  skits  born  of 
the  war."  Evening  Standard. 

SONGS  OUT  OF  EXILE :  Being  Verses  of  African 
Sunshine  and  Shadow  and  Black  Man's  Twilight.  By 

CULLEN   GOULDSBURY.  Cloth, 

4/6  net.  Fourth  Impression. 

"  The  '  Rhodesian  Rhymes  *  won  for  their  author  the  journalistic 
title  of  '  The  Kipling  of  South  Africa,'  and  indeed  his  work  is  full  of 
crisp  vigour,  fire  and  colour.  It  is  brutal  in  parts  ;  but  its  brutality 
is  strong  and  realistic.  Mr  Gouldsbury  has  spent  many  years  in 
Rhodesia,  and  its  life,  black  and  white,  is  thoroughly  familiar  to 
him.  .  .  .  Mr.  Gouldsbury  is  undoubtedly  a  writer  to  be  reckoned 
with.  His  verse  is  informed  by  knowledge  of  wild  life  in  open  places 
and  a  measure  of  genuine  feeling  which  make  it  real  poetry.  ' — Standard. 

FROM  THE  OUTPOSTS.  By  CULLEN  GOULDSBURY. 
Cloth,  4/6  net.  Third  Impression. 

"  Mr.  Cullen  Gouldsbury's  collections  of  his  verses  are  always  welcome, 
and  the  lost,  '  From  the  Outposts,'  is  as  good  as  its  predecessor.  No 
one  has  quite  Mr.  Gouldsbury's  experience  and  gift."  Spectator. 

"  It  has  been  well  said  that  Mr.  Gouldsbury  has  done  for  the  white 
man  in  Africa  what  Adam  Lindsay  Gordon  in  a  measure  accomplished 
for  tho  Commonwealth  and  Kipling  triumphantly  for  the  British 
race,  and  he  certainly  is  good  to  read."  Field. 

T.  FISHER  UN  WIN  LTD.,  1  Adelphi  Terrace,  London,  W.C.2 


POETRY    THAT    T  H  R I  L  L  S-contd. 

THE  HELL-GATE  OF  SOISSONS  and  other  Poems. 
("THE  SONG  OF  THE  GUNS.")  By  HERBERT  KAUFMAN. 
Cloth,  4/6  net.  Fifth  Impression. 

"  A  singular  gift  for  expressing  in  verse  the  facts,  the  heroism,  even 
the  humours  of  war ;  and  in  some  cases  voices  its  ideals  with  real 
eloquence."  The  Times. 

"  Mr.  Kaufman  has  undoubtedly  given  us  a  book  worthy  of  the  great 
hour  that  has  brought  it  forth.  He  is  a  poet  with  a  martial  spirit 
and  a  deep,  manly  voice."  Daily  Mail. 

LYRA  NIGERIA.  By  ADAMU.  (E.  C.  ADAMS). 
Cloth,  4/6  net.  Second  Impression. 

"  Mr.  E.  C.  Adams  (Adamu)  is  a  singer  of  Nigeria,  and  it  can  safely 
be  said  he  has  few,  if  any,  rivals.  There  is  something  in  these  illus- 
trations of  Nigerian  life  akin  to  the  style  of  Kipling  and  Service. 
The  heart  of  the  wanderer  and  adventurer  is  revealed,  and  in  particular 
that  spirit  of  longing  which  comes  to  all  ...  who  have  gone  out 
to  the  far-lands  of  the  world."  .  Dundee  Advertiser. 

SUNNY  SONGS.  Poems.  By  EDGAR  A.  GUEST. 
Cloth,  4/6  net. 

In  America  Mr.  Guest  is  an  extraordinarily  popular  writer 
of  verses,  though  this  is  his  first  introduction  in  book  form 
to  the  British  public.  He  brims  over  with  sound  sense 
and  tonic  cheeriness.  He  is  keenly  sensible  of  the  humour 
of  domestic  life,  but  is  deeply  sympathetic  with  the 
associations  which  combine  in  the  word  "  Home."  Hence 
he  is  read  by  women  with  amusement  and  pleasure.  During 
the  war  his  poem,  "  Said  the  Workman  to  the  Soldier," 
circulated  by  the  hundred  thousand.  Like  Beranger 
and  all  successful  poets,  he  is  essentially  lyrical ;  that 
is  to  say,  there  is  tune  and  swing  in  all  his  verses. 

T.  FISHER  UNWIN  LTD  ,  1  Adelphi  Terrace,  London,  W.C.2 


RICHARD     MIDDLETON'S     WORKS 

POEMS  AND  SONGS  (First  Series).  By  RICHARD 
MIDDLE-TON.  Cloth,  5/-  net. 

"  We  have  no  hesitation  in  placing  the  name  of  Richard  Middleton 
beside  the  names  of  all  that  galaxy  of  poets  that  made  the  later 
Victorian  era  the  most  brilliant  in  poetry  that  England  had  known 
since  the  Elizabethan."  Westminster  Review. 

POEMS  AND  SONGS  (Second  Series).  By  RICHARD 
MIDDLETON.  Cloth,  5/-  net. 

"  Their  beauty  is  undeniable  and  often  of  extraordinary  delicacy 
for  Middleton  had  a  mastery  of  craftmanship  such  as  is  usually  given 
to  men  of  a  far  wider  imaginative  experience."  Poetry  Review. 

"  Among  tha  '  Poems  and  Songs  '  of  Richard  Middleton  are  to  be 
found  some  of  the  finest  of  contemporary  lyrics."  Country  Life. 

OTHER         WORKS        BY 
RICHARD       MIDDLETON 

THE  GHOST  SHIP  AND    OTHER  STORIES. 

MONOLOGUES. 
THE       DAY       BEFORE       YESTERDAY. 


THE  WAITING  WOMAN  and  other  Poems.  By 
HERBERT  KAUFMAN.  Cloth,  4/6  net. 

"  Mr.  Kaufman's  work  possesses  in  a  high  degree  the  qualities  of 
sincerity  and  truth,  and  it  therefore  never  fails  to  move  the  reader. 
.  .  .  This  volume,  in  short,  is  the  work  of  a  genuine  poet  and 
artist."  Aberdeen  Free  Press. 

"  A  versifier  of  great  virility  and  power."  Review  of  Review. 


T.  FISHER  UNWIN  LTD.,  1  Adelphi  Terrace,  London,  W.C.2 


BY    W.    B.    YEATS    AND    OTHERS 

POEMS.  By  W.  B.  YEATS.  Second  edition.  Large 
Crown  8vo,  Cloth,  10/6  net.  Ninth  Impression. 

"  Love  songs,  faery  themes,  moods  of  meditation,  scenes  of  legendary 
wonder  .  .  .  is  it  possible  that  they  should  become  so  infinitely 
thrilling,  touching,  haunting  in  their  fresh  treatment,  as  though  they 
had  never  been,  or  poets  had  never  turned  to  them  ?  In  this  poet's 
hands  they  do  so  become.  Mr.  Yeats  has  given  us  a  new  thrill  of 
delight,  a  new  experience  of  beauty."  Daily  Chronicle. 

OTHER      POEMS      BY 
W.      B.      YEATS 

COUNTESS  CATHLEEN.  A  Dramatic  Poem.  Paper 
cover,  2/-  net. 

THE  LAND  OF  HEART'S  DESIRE.  Paper 
cover,  1/6  net. 


WHY    DON'T    THEY    CHEER  ? 
Cloth, 


By  R.  J.  C.  STEAD. 

4/6  net. 


"  Before  the  war  Mr.  Stead  was  known  to  Canadians  as  '  The  Poet 
of  the  Prairies.'  He  must  now  be  ranked  as  a  '  Poet  of  the  Empire.' 
.  .  .  There  is  a  strength,  a  beauty,  a  restrained  passion  in  his  war 
verses  which  prove  his  ability  to  penetrate  into  the  heart  of  things 
such  as  very  few  of  our  war  poets  have  exhibited."  —  Daily  Express. 


SWORDS  AND  FLUTES. 

Cloth, 


By  WILLIAM  KEAN  SEYMOUR. 
4/-  net. 


"  Among  the  younger  poets  Mr.  Seymour  is  distinguished  by  his 
delicacy  of  technique.  4  Swords  and  Flutes  '  is  a  book  of  grave  and  tender 
beauty  expressed  in  lucent  thought  and  jewelled  words.  '  The  Ambush  ' 
is  a  lyric  of  mastery  and  fascination,  alike  in  conception  and  rhythm, 
which  should  be  included  in  any  representative  anthology  of  Georgian 
poetry."  Daily  Express. 

T.  FISHER  UNWIN  LTD.,  1  Adelphi  Terrace,  London,  W.C.2 


THE       MERMAID       SERIES 

THE      BEST     PLAYS     OF      THE      OLD      DRAMATISTS 

Literal  Reproductions  of  the  Old  Text.  With  Photo- 
gravure Frontispieces.  Thin  Paper  edition.  School  Edi- 
tion, Boards,  3/-  net ;  Cloth,  5/-  net ;  Leather,  7/6  net  each 
volume. 

Marlowe.  THE  BEST  PLAYS  OF  CHRISTOPHER 
MARLOWE.  Edited,  with  Critical  Memoir  and 
Notes,  by  Havelock  Ellis ;  and  containing  a  General 
Introduction  to  the  Series  by  John  Addington 
Symonds. 

Otway.  THE  BEST  PLAYS  OF  THOMAS  OTWAY. 
Introduction  and  Notes  by  the  Hon.  Roden  Noel. 

Ford.  THE  BEST  PLAYS  OF  JOHN  FORD.  Edited 
by  Havelock  Ellis. 

Massinger.  THE  BEST  PLAYS  OF  PHILLIP 
MASSINGER.  With  Critical  and  Biographical  Essay 
and  Notes  by  Arthur  Symons. 

Heywood  (T.).  THE  BEST  PLAYS  OF  THOMAS 
HEYWOOD.  Edited  by  A.  W.  Verity.  With 
Introduction  by  J.  A.  Symonds. 

Wycherley.  THE  COMPLETE  PLAYS  OF  WILLIAM 
WYCHERLEY.  Edited,  with  Introduction  and 
Notes,  by  W.  C.  Ward. 

NERO  AND  OTHER  PLAYS.  Edited  by  H.  P.  Home, 
Arthur  Symons,  A.  W.  Verity  and  H.  Ellis. 

Beaumont.  THE  BEST  PLAYS  OF  BEAUMONT 
AND  FLETCHER.  Introduction  and  Notes  by 
J.  St.  Loe  Strachey.  2  vols. 

Congreve.  THE  COMPLETE  PLAYS  OF  WILLIAM 
CONGREVE.  Edited  by  Alex.  C.  Ewald. 

Symonds  (J.  A.).  THE  BEST  PLAYS  OF  WEBSTER 
AND  TOURNEUR.  With  an  Introduction  and 
Notes  by  John  Addington  Symonds 

T.  FISHER  UNWIN  LTD.,  1  Adelphi  Terrace,  London,  W.C.2 


THE     MERMAID     SERIE  S-contd. 

Middleton  (T.).    THE     BEST     PLAYS     OF     THOMAS 
•    MIDDLETON.    With  an  Introduction  by  Algernon 
Charles  Swinburne.       2  vols. 

Shirley.  THE  BEST  PLAYS  OF  JAMES  SHIRLEY. 
With  Introduction  by  Edmund  Gosse. 

Dekker.    THE  BEST  PLAYS  OF  THOMAS  DEKKER. 

Notes  by  Ernest  Rhys. 

Steele  (R.).  THE  COMPLETE  PLAYS  OF  RICHARD 
STEELE.  Edited,  with  Introduction  and  Notes, 
by  G.  A.  Aitken. 

Jonson.    THE     BEST     PLAYS     OF     BEN     JONSON. 

Edited,  with  Introduction  and  Notes,  by  Brinsley 
Nicholson  and  C.  H.  Herford.     2  vols. 

Chapman.    THE  BEST  PLAYS  OF  GEORGE  CHAPMAN. 

Edited  by  William  Lyon  Phelps. 

Vanbrugh.  THE  SELECT  PLAYS  OF  SIR  JOHN 
VANBRUGH.  Edited,  with  an  Introduction  and 
Notes,  by  A.  E.  H.  Swain. 

Shadwell.  THE  BEST  PLAYS  OF  THOMAS  SHAD- 
WELL.  Edited  by  George  Saintsbury. 

Dryden.     THE    BEST    PLAYS    OF    JOHN    DRYDEN. 

Edited  by  George  Saintsbury.     2  vols. 

Farquhar.    THE  BEST  PLAYS  OF  GEORGE  FARQUHAR. 

Edited,   and    with    an    Introduction,    by    William 
Archer. 

Greene.  THE  COMPLETE  PLAYS  OF  ROBERT 
GREENE.  Edited,  with  Introduction  and  Notes, 
by  Thomas  H.  Dickinson. 

T.  FISHER  UN  WIN  LTD.,  1  Adelphi  Terrace,  London,  W.C.2 


THE  ADVANCE  OF 
SOUTH  AMERICA 

A  FEW  NOTES  ON  SOME  INTERESTING  BOOKS 
DEALING  WITH  THE  PAST  HISTORY,  PRESENT  AND 
FUTURE  POSSIBILITIES  OF  THE  GREAT  CONTINENT 

When  in  1906  Mr.  Fisher  Unwin  commissioned  the  late 
Major  Martin  Hume  to  prepare  a  series  of  volumes  by 
experts  on  the  South  American  Republics,  but  little 
interest  had  been  taken  in  the  country  as  a  possible  field 
for  commercial  development.  The  chief  reasons  for  this 
were  ignorance  as  to  the  trade  conditions  and  the  varied 
resources  of  the  country,  and  the  general  unrest  and 
instability  of  most  of  the  governments.  With  the  coming 
of  the  South  American  Series  of  handbooks  the  financial 
world  began  to  realize  the  importance  of  the  country, 
and,  with  more  settled  conditions,  began  in  earnest 
to  develop  the  remarkable  natural  resources  which 
awaited  outside  enterprise.  Undoubtedly  the  most 
informative  books  on  the  various  Republics  are  those 
included  in  THE  SOUTH  AMERICAN  SERIES,  each  of 
which  is  the  work  of  a  recognized  authority  on  his  subject. 

"  The  output  of  books  upon  Latin  America  has  in  recent  years  been 
very  large,  a  proof  doubtless  of  the  increasing  interest  that  is  felt 
in  the  subject.  Of  these  the  '  South  American  Series  '  is  the  most 
noteworthy."  The  Times. 

"  When  the  '  South  American  Series  '  is  completed,  those  who  take 
interest  in  Latin-American  affairs  will  have  an  invaluable  encyclo- 
paedia at  their  disposal."  Westminster  Gazette. 

"  Mr.  Unwin's  '  South  American  Series '  of  books  are  of  special  interest 
and  value  to  the  capitalist  and  trader." — Chamber  of  Commerce  Journal. 

Full  particulars  of  the  volumes  in  the  "  South  American 
Series,"  also  of  other  interesting  books  on  South 
America,  will  be  found  in  the  pages  following. 

T.  FISHER  UNWIN   LTD..   1   ADELPHI  TERRACE.    LONDON.  W.C.8 


THE  SOUTH  AMERICAN  SERIES 

1  Chile.    By  G.  F.  SCOTT  ELLIOTT,  M.A.,  F.R.G.S.     With 
an  Introduction  by  MARTIN  HUME,  a  Map  and  39  Illus- 
trations.    Cloth,  21/-  net.  Sixth  Impression. 

"  An  exhaustive,  interesting  account,  not  only  of  the  turbulent 
history  of  this  country,  but  of  the  present  conditions  and  seeming 
prospects."  Westminster  Gazette. 

2  Peru.    By  C.  REGINALD  ENOCK,  F.R.G.S.     With  an  In- 
troduction by  MARTIN  HUME,  a  Map  and  64  Illustrations. 
Cloth,  18/-  net.  Fifth  Impression. 

"  An  important  work.  .  .  .  The  writer  possesses  a  quick  eye  and 
a  keen  intelligence  ;  is  many-sided  in  his  interests,  and  on  certain 
subjects  speaks  as  an  expert.  The  volume  deals  fully  with  the  develop- 
ment of  the  country."  The  Times. 

3  Mexico.    By  C.  REGINALD  ENOCK,  F.R.G.S.    With  an 
Introduction  by  MARTIN  HUME,  a  Map  and  64  Illustrations. 
Cloth,  15/-  net.  Fifth  Impression. 

"  The  book  is  most  comprehensive ;  the  history,  politics, 
topography,  industries,  resources  and  possibilities  being  most  ably 
discussed."  The  Financial  News. 

4  Argentina.    By  W.  A.  HIRST.    With  an  Introduction  by 
MARTIN  HUME,  a  Map  and  64  Illustrations.     Cloth,  15/- 
net.  Fifth  Impression. 

"  The  best  and  most  comprehensive  of  recent  works  on 
the  greatest  and  most  progressive  of  the  Republics  of  South 
America."  Manchester  Guardian. 

5  Brazil.     By  PIERRE  DENIS.     Translated,  and  with  an 
Historical  Chapter  by  BERNARD  MIALL.     With  a  Supple- 
mentary Chapter   by   DAWSON    A.    VINDIN,    a   Map   and 
36  Illustrations.     Cloth,  15/-  net.  Fourth  Impression. 

"  Altogether  the  book  is  full  of  information,  which  shows  the  author  to 
have  made  a  most  careful  study  of  the  country." — Westminster  Gazette. 

T.  FISHER  UNWIN  LTD.,   1   ADELPHI   TERRACE.    LONDON.   W.C  2 


THE  SOUTH  AMERICAN   SERIES 

6  Uruguay.    By  W.  II.  KOEBEL.     With  a  Map  and  55 
Illustrations.     Cloth,  15/-  net.  Third  Impression. 

"  Mr.  Koebel  has  given  us  an  expert's  diagnosis  of  the  present  con- 
dition of  Uruguay.  Glossing  over  nothing,  exaggerating  nothing,  he 
has  prepared  a  document  of  the  deepest  interest." — Evening  Standard. 

7  Guiana.  British,  French  and  Dutch.   By  JAMES  RODWAY. 
With  a  Map  and  32  Illustrations.  Cloth, 
15/-  net.                                                        Second  Impression. 

"  Mr.  Rodway's  work  is  a  storehouse  of  information,  historical, 
economical  and  sociological."  The  Times. 


8  Venezuela.     By  LEONARD  V.  DALTON,  F.G.S.,  F.R.G.S. 
With  a  Map  and  45  Illustrations.  Cloth, 
15/-  net.                                                          Third  Impression. 

"  An  exhaustive  and  valuable  survey  of  its  geography,  geology, 
history,  botany,  zoology  and  anthropology,  and  of  its  commercial 
possibilities  in  the  near  future."  Manchester  Guardian. 

9  Latin  America :   Its  Rise  and  Progress.     By  F.  GARCIA- 
CALDERON.    With    a    Preface    by    RAYMOND    POINCARE, 
President  of  the  French  Republic.     With  a  Map  and  84 
Illustrations.     Cloth,  15/-  net.  Sixth  Impression. 

President  Poincar£,  in  a  striking  preface  to  this  book, 
says :  "  Here  is  a  book  that  should  be  read  and  digested 
by  every  one  interested  in  the  future  of  the  Latin  genius." 

10  Colombia.   By  PHANOR  JAMES  EDER,  A.B.,  LL.B.  With 
2  Maps  and  40  Illustrations.  Cloth, 
15/-  net.                                                           Fifth  Impression. 

"  Mr.  Eder'a  valuable  work  should  do  much  to  encourage  invest- 
ment, travel  and  trade  in  one  of  the  least-known  and  most  promising 
of  the  countries  of  the  New  World."  Manchester  Guardian. 

T.  FISHER  UNWIN  LTD..   1    ADELPHI   TERRACE.     LONDON.    W.C.3 


THE   SOUTH    AMERICAN   SERIES 


11  Ecuador.  By  C.  REGINALD  ENOCK,  F.R.G.S.  With  2 
Maps  and  37  Illustrations.  Cloth, 

15/-  net.  Second  Impression. 

"  Mr.  Enock's  very  thorough  and  exhaustive  volume  should  help 
British  investors  to  take  their  part  in  promoting  its  develop- 
ment. He  has  studied  and  described  tho  country  in  all  its 
aspects."  Manchester  Guardian. 


12  Bolivia.  By  PAUL  WALLE.  With  4  Maps  and  59  Illus- 
trations. Cloth,  18/-  net.  Second  Impression. 

Bolivia  is  a  veritable  El  Dorado,  requiring  only  capital 
and  enterprise  to  become  one  of  the  wealthiest  States  of 
America.  This  volume  is  the  result  of  a  careful  investiga- 
tion made  on  behalf  of  the  French  Ministry  of  Commerce. 


13  Paraguay.  By  W.  H.  KOEBEL.  With  a  Map  and  32 
Illustrations.  Cloth,  15/-  net.  Second  Impression. 

"  Gives  a  great  deal  of  serious  and  useful  information  about  the 
possibilities  of  the  country  for  the  emigrant,  the  investor  and  the 
tourist,  concurrently  with  a  vivid  and  literary  account  of  its 
history."  Economist. 


14  Central  America  :  Guatemala,  Nicaragua,  Costa  Rica, 
Honduras,  Panama  and  Salvador.  By  W.  H.  KOEBEL. 
With  a  Map  and  25  Illustrations.  Cloth, 

15/-  net.  Second  Impression. 

"We  strongly  recommend  this  volume,  not  only  to  merchants  look- 
ing ahead  for  new  openings  for  trade,  but  also  to  all  who  wish  for 
an  accurate  and  interesting  account  of  an  almost  unknown 
world."  Saturday  Review. 

T.  FISHER   UNWIN  LTD..  1  ADELPHI  TERRACE,   LONDON.  W.C.2 


BOOKS  ON  SOUTH  AMERICA 

0  TH  ER  BOOKS  ON 
SO  U  TH  AMERICA 

Spanish  America :  Its  Romance,  Reality  and  Future. 
By  C.  R.  ENOCH,  Author  of  "  The  Andes  and  the  Amazon," 
"Peru,"  "Mexico,"  "Ecuador."  Illustrated  and  with  a 
Map.  2  vols.  Cloth,  30/-  net  the  set. 

Starting  with  the  various  States  of  Central  America,  Mr. 
Enock  then  describes  ancient  and  modern  Mexico,  then 
takes  the  reader  successively  along  the  Pacific  Coast,  the 
Cordillera  of  the  Andes,  enters  the  land  of  the  Spanish 
Main,  conducts  the  reader  along  the  Amazon  Valley,  gives 
a  special  chapter  to  Brazil  and  another  to  the  River  Plate 
and  Pampas.  Thus  all  the  States  of  Central  and  South 
America  are  covered.  The  work  is  topographical,  de- 
scriptive and  historical ;  it  describes  the  people  and  the 
cities,  the  flora  and  fauna,  the  varied  resources  of  South 
America,  its  trade,  railways,  its  characteristics  generally. 


South  America :  An  Industrial  and  Commercial  Field. 
By  W.  H.  KOEBEL.  Illustrated.  Cloth, 

18/-  net.  Second  Impression. 

"  The  book  considers  such  questions  as  South  American  commerce, 
British  interests  in  the  various  Republics,  international  relations 
and  trade,  communications,  the  tendency  of  enterprise,  industries, 
etc.  Two  chapters  devoted  to  the  needs  of  the  continent  will  be 
of  especial  interest  to  manufacturers  and  merchants,  giving  as  they 
do  valuable  hints  as  to  the  various  goods  required,  while  the  chapter 
on  merchandise  and  commercial  travellers  affords  some  sound  and 
practical  advice."  Chamber  of  Commerce  Journal. 

T.    FISHER   UNWIN   LTD..   1   ADELPHI   TERRACE.    LONDON.  W.C.  2 


BOOKS    ON    SOUTH    AMERICA 

Vagabonding    down    the    Andes.  By  HARRY 

A.  FRANCK,  author  of  "A  Vagabond  Journey  Round  the 
World,"  etc.    With  a  Map  and  176  Illustrations.' 
Cloth,  25/-  net.  Second  Impression. 

"  The  book  is  a  brilliant  record  of  adventurous  travel  among 
strange  scenes  and  with  even  more  strange  companions,  and 
vividly  illustrates,  by  its  graphic  text  and  its  admirable  photo- 
graphs, the  real  conditions  of  life  in  the  backwood  regions  of  South 
America."  Manchester  Guardian. 

•'Mr.  Franck  is  to  be  congratulated  on  having  produced  a  readable 
and  even  fascinating  book.  His  journey  lay  over  countries  in  which 
an  increasing  interest  is  being  felt.  Practically  speaking,  he  may 
be  said  to  have  started  from  Panama,  wandered  through  Colombia, 
spending  some  time  at  Bogota,  and  then  going  on  to  Ecuador,  of 
which  Quito  is  the  centre.  Next  he  traversed  the  fascinating  country 
of  the  Incas,  from  the  borders  of  which  he  entered  Bolivia,  going 
right  across  that  country  till  he  approached  Brazil.  He  passed 
through  Paraguay,  cut  through  a  corner  of  the  Argentine  to  Uruguay, 
and  so  to  the  River  Plata  and  the  now  well-known  town  of  Buenos 
Ayres."  Country  Life. 

In  the  Wilds  of  South  America :  Six  Years  of  Explora- 
tion in  Colombia,  Venezuela,  British  Guiana,  Peru,  Bolivia, 
Argentina,  Paraguay  and  Brazil.  By  LEO  E.  MILLER, 
of  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History.  With  48 
Full-page  Illustrations  and  with  Maps.  Cloth,  21/-  net. 

This  volume  represents  a  series  of  almost  continuous 
explorations  hardly  ever  paralleled  in  the  huge  areas 
traversed.  The  author  is  a  distinguished  field  naturalist 
— one  of  those  who  accompanied  Colonel  Roosevelt  on 
his  famous  South  American  expedition — and  his  first  object 
in  his  wanderings  over  150,000  miles  of  territory  was  the 
observation  of  wild  life  ;  but  hardly  second  was  that  of 
exploration.  The  result  is  a  wonderfully  informative, 
impressive  and  often  thrilling  narrative  in  which  savage 
peoples  and  all  but  unknown  animals  largely  figure,  which 
forms  an  infinitely  readable  book  and  one  of  rare  value 
for  geographers,  naturalists  and  other  scientific  men. 

T.  FISHER  UNWIN  LTD..   1    ADELPHI   TERRACE.    LONDON,  W.C.2 


BOOKS    ON    SOUTH    AMERICA 

The  Putumayo  :  The  Devil's  Paradise.  Travels  in  the 
Peruvian  Amazon  Region  and  an  Account  of  the  Atrocities 
committed  upon  the  Indians  therein.  By  E.  W.  HARDEN- 
BURG,  C.E.  Edited  and  with  an  Introduction  by  C. 
REGINALD  ENOCK,  F.R.G.S.  With  a  Map  and  16 
Illustrations.  Demy  8vo,  Cloth, 

10/6  net.  Second  Impression, 

"  The  author  gives  us  one  of  the  most  terrible  pages  in  the  history 
of  trade."  Daily  Chronicle. 

Tramping  through  Mexico,  Guatemala  and  Hon- 
duras. By  HARRY  A.  FRANCK.  With  a  Map  and  88 
Illustrations.  Cloth,  7/6  net. 

"Mr.  Harry  Franck  is  a  renowned  vagabond  with  a  gift  for  vivid 
description.  .  .  .  His  record  is  well  illustrated  and  he  tells  his  story 
in  an  attractive  manner,  his  descriptions  of  scenery  being  so  well 
done  that  one  feels  almost  inclined  to  risk  one's  life  in  a  wild  race 
dwelling  in  a  land  of  lurid  beauty."  Liverpool  Mercury. 

"Mr.  Franck  has  combined  with  an  enthralling  and  amusing 
personal  narrative  a  very  vivid  and  searching  picture,  topogra- 
phical and  social,  of  a  region  of  much  political  and  economic 
interest."  Glasgow  Herald. 

Mexico  (STORY  OF  THE  NATIONS).  By  SUSAN  HALE. 
With  Maps  and  47  Illus.  Cloth,  7/6  net.  Third  Impression. 

"  This  is  an  attractive  book.  There  is  a  fascination  about  Mexico 
which  is  all  but  irresistible.  .  .  .  The  authoress  writes  with 
considerable  descriptive  power,  and  all  through  the  stirring 
narrative  never  permits  us  to  lose  sight  of  natural  surround- 
ings." Dublin  Review. 

Things  as  they  are  in  Panama.  By  HARRY  A. 
FRANCE.  With  50  Illustrations.  Cloth,  7/6  net. 

"Mr.  Franck  writes  from  personal  knowledge,  fortified  by  the 
aptitude  of  a  practical  and  shrewd  observer  with  a  sense  of  humour, 
and  the  result  is  a  word-picture  of  unusual  vividness." — Standard. 

"A  sparkling  narrative  which  leaves  one  wondering  again  why  the 
general  reader  favours  modern  fiction  so  much  when  it  is  possible 
to  get  such  vivacious  yarns  as  this  about  strange  men  and  their  ways 
in  a  romantic  corner  of  the  tropics."  Daily  Mail. 

T.  FISHER  UNWIN    LTD..    I    ADELPHI   TERRACE.   LONDON.  W.C.2 


BOOKS    ON    SOUTH    AMERICA 

The  Spell  of  the  Tropics.  POEMS.  By  RANDOLPH 
H.  ATKIN.  Cloth,  .4/6  net.  Second  Impression. 

The  author  has  travelled  extensively  in  Central  and  South 
America,  and  has  strongly  felt  the  spell  of  those  tropic  lands, 
with  all  their  splendour  and  romance,  and  yet  about  which 
so  little  is  known.  The  poems  are  striking  pen-pictures 
of  life  as  it  is  lived  by  those  men  of  the  English-speaking 
races  whose  lot  is  cast  in  the  sun-bathed  countries  of 
Latin-America.  Mr.  Atkin's  verses  will  reach  the  hearts 
of  all  who  feel  the  call  of  the  wanderlust,  and, 
having  shared  their  pleasures  and  hardships,  his 
poems  will  vividly  recall  to  "  old-timers "  bygone 
memories  of  days  spent  in  the  land  of  the  Coconut  Tree. 

Baedeker  Guide  to  the  United  States.  With 
Excursions  to  Mexico,  Cuba,  Porto  Rico  and  Alaska. 
With  33  Maps  and  48  Plans.  Fourth  Edition, 

1909.  Cloth,  20/-  net. 


IMPORTANT.  Travellers  to  the  Republics  of  South  America 
will  find  WESSELY'S  ENGLISH-SPANISH  and  SPANISH- 
ENGLISH  DICTIONARY  and  WESSELY'S  LATIN-ENGLISH 
and  ENGLISH-LATIN  DICTIONARY  invaluable  books.  Bound 
in  cloth,  pocket  size.  Price  4/-  net  each. 

Ask   for  Wessely's   Edition,    published   by   Mr.   T.    Fisher   Unwin. 


T.  FISHER  UNWIN  LTD.,    1    ADELPHI   TERRACE.   LONDON.   W.C.2 


THE  STORY  OF 
THE  NATIONS 

THE  GREATEST  HISTORICAL  LIBRARY 
IN  THE  WORLD       ::       ::       67  VOLUMES 

Each  volume  of  ' '  The  Story  of  the  Nations  "  Series  is  the  work  of 
a  recognized  scholar,  chosen  for  his  knowledge  of  the  subject  and 
ability  to  present  history  in  an  attractive  form,  for  the  student  and 
the  general  reader.  The  Illustrations  and  Maps  are  an  attractive 
feature  of  the  volume,  which  are  strongly  bound  for  constant  use. 

67   Volumes.  Cloth,   7s.   6d.  net  each. 


See  page  2  for  an  announcement  of  a  new  volume. 


"  It  is  many  years  since  Messrs.  T.  Fisher  Unwin  commenced  the 
publication  of  a  series  of  volumes  now  entitled  '  The  Story  of  the 
Nations.'  Each  volume  is  written  by  an  acknowledged  authority 
on  the  country  with  which  it  deals.  The  series  has  enjoyed 
great  popularity,  and  not  an  uncommon  experience  being  the 
necessity  for  a  second,  third,  and  even  fourth  impression  of 
particular  volumes."  Scotsman. 

"  Probably  no  publisher  has  issued  a  more  informative  and  valuable 
series  of  works  than  those  included  in  '  The  Story  of  the 
Nations.' "  To- Day 

"The  series  is  likely  to  be  found  indispensable  in  every  school 
library."  Pall  Mall  Gazette. 

"  An  admirable  series."  Spectator. 

"  Such  a  universal  history  as  the  series  will  present  us  with  in 
its  completion  will  be  a  possession  such  as  no  country  but 
our  own  can  boast  of.  Its  success  on  the  whole  has  been  very 
remarkable."  Daily  Chronicle. 

"  There  is  perhaps  no  surer  sign  of  the  increased  interest  that  is  now 
being  taken  in  historical  matters  than  the  favourable  reception  which 
we  believe  both  here  and  in  America  is  being  accorded  to  the  various 
volumes  of  '  The  Story  of  the  Nations  '  as  they  issue  in  quick 
succession  from  the  press.  More  than  one  volume  has  reached  its 
third  edition  in  England  alone.  .  .  .  Each  volume  is  written  by  ono 
of  the  foremost  English  authorities  on  the  subject  with  which 
it  deals.  ...  It  is  almost  impossible  to  over-estimate  the  value 
of  the  series  of  carefully  prepared  volumes,  such  as  are  the 
majority  of  those  comprising  this  library.  .  .  .  The  illustrations 
make  one  of  the  most  attractive  features  of  the  series." — Guardian. 

T.  FISHER  UNWIN  LTD.,  1  Adelphi  Terrace,  London,  W.C.  2 


A  NEW  VOLUME  IN  "THE 
STORY  OF  THE  NATIONS" 
READY  IN  THE  SPRING,  1921 

BELGIUM 

FROM  THE  ROMAN  INVASION  TO  THE  PRESENT  DAY 

By  EMILE  CAMMAERTS.  With  Maps  and 
Illustrations.  Large  Crown  8vo.  Cloth,  12/6  net. 

A  complete  history  of  the  Belgian  nation  from  its  origins 
to  its  present  situation  has  not  yet  been  published  in  this 
country.  Up  till  now  Belgian  history  has  only  been 
treated  as  a  side  issue  in  works  concerned  with  the  Belgian 
art,  Belgian  literature  or  social  conditions.  Besides, 
there  has  been  some  doubt  with  regard  to  the  date  at 
which  such  a  history  ought  to  begin,  and  a  good  many 
writers  have  limited  themselves  to  the  modern  history 
of  Belgium  because  they  did  not  see  in  olden  times 
sufficient  evidence  of  Belgian  unity.  According  to  the 
modern  school  of  Belgian  historians,  however,  this  unity, 
founded  on  common  traditions  and  common  interests, 
has  asserted  itself  again  and  again  through  the  various 
periods  of  history  in  spite  of  invasion,  foreign  domination 
and  the  various  trials  experienced  by  the  country.  The 
history  of  the  Belgian  nation  appears  to  the  modern  mind 
as  a  slow  development  of  one  nationality  constituted  by 
two  races  speaking  two  different  languages  but  bound 
together  by  geographical,  economic  and  cultural  con- 
ditions. In  view  of  the  recent  proof  Belgium  has  given 
of  her  patriotism  during  the  world-war,  this  impartial 
enquiry  into  her  origins  may  prove  interesting  to  British 
readers.  Every  opportunity  has  been  taken  to  insist  on 
the  frequent  relationships  between  the  Belgian  provinces 
and  Great  Britain  from  the  early  middle  ages  to  the  present 
time,  and  to  show  the  way  in  which  both  countries  were 
affected  by  them.  Written  by  one  of  the  most  dis- 
tinguished Belgian  writers,  who  has  made  a  specialty  of 
his  subject,  this  work  will  be  one  of  the  most  brilliant  and 
informing  contributions  in  **  The  Story  of  the  Nations." 


A  COMPLETE  LIST  OF  THE 
VOLUMES  IN  "THE  STORY  OF 
THE  NATIONS"  SERIES.  THE 
FIRST  AND  MOST  COMPLETE 
LIBRARY  OF  THE  WORLD'S  HISTORY 
PRESENTED  IN  A  POPULAR  FORM 


1  Rome:    From    the    Earliest    Times    to    the    End     of 
the    Republic.        By    ARTHUR    GILMAN,    M.A.         Third 
Edition.  With  43  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

2  The     Jews:       In     Ancient,     Mediaeval     and    Modern 
Times.      By     Professor     JAMES     K.     HOSMER.      Eighth 
Impression.  With  37  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

3  Germany.       By    S.    BARING-GOULD,    M.A.      Seventh 
Impression.  With  108  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

4  Carthage:  or   the  Empire   of  Africa.     By  Professor 
ALFRED    J.    CHURCH,    M.A.          With    the    Collaboration 
of    Arthur    Gilman,     M.A.  Ninth    Impres- 
sion.                                   With  43   Illustrations  and  Maps. 

5  Alexander's  Empire.    By  JOHN  PENTLAND  MAHAFFY, 
D.D.     With  the  Collaboration  of   Arthur  Gilman,  M.A. 
Eighth  Impression.  With  43  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

6  The  Moors  in  Spain.    By  STANLEY  LANE-POOLE.    With 
the    Collaboration    of    Arthur    Gilman,    M.A.           Eighth 
Edition.  With  29  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

7  Ancient   Egypt.      By  Professor    GEORGE   RAWLINSON, 
M.A.      Tenth  Edition.  Eleventh  Impres- 
sion.                                     With   50    Illustrations   and   Maps. 

8  Hungary.    In    Ancient,  Mediaeval  and  Modern  Times. 
By    Professor   ARMINIUS    VAMBERY.     With  Collaboration 
of    Louis    Heilpin.  Seventh 
Edition.                              With  47   Illustrations  and  Maps. 

9  The  Saracens:   From   the   Earliest  Times  to  the  Fall 
of    Bagdad.       By  ARTHUR  GILMAN,  M.A.  Fourth 
Edition.                                 With  57  Illustrations  and  Maps. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE 

10  Ireland.    By  the  Hon.  EMILY  LAWLESS.    Revised  and 
brought    up   to    date    by    J.    O'Toole.  With    some 
additions    by    Mrs.    Arthur    Bronson.  Eighth 
Impression.                         With  58  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

11  Chaldea:    From  the  Earliest    Times  to   the  Rise    of 
Assyria.      By    ZENA!DE    A.    RAGOZIN.  Seventh 
Impression.                           With  80  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

12  The    Goths:    From  the  Earliest  Times  to  the    End 
of  the  Gothic  Dominion  in  Spain.      By  HENRY  BRADLEY. 
Fifth  Edition.  With  35  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

18    Assyria :  From  the  Rise  of  the  Empire  to  the  Fall 

of    Nineveh.  (Continued    from    "  Chaldea.")           By 

Z^NAfDE    A.  RAGOZIN.                                               Seventh 

Impression.  With  81   Illustrations  and  Maps. 

14  Turkey.      By     STANLEY     LANE-POOLE,    assisted    by 
C.  J.  W.  Gibb  and  Arthur  Gilman.  New 
Edition.                                With   a  new  Chapter  on  recent 
events  (1908).                   With  43   Illustrations  and  Maps. 

15  Holland.        By    Professor    J.    E.    THOROLD    ROGERS. 
Fifth  Edition.  With  57  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

16  Mediaeval  France :   From  the  Reign  of  Huguar  Capet 
to  the  beginning  of  the  16th  Century.    By  GUSTAVE  MASSON, 
B.A.        Sixth  Edition.      With  48  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

17  Persia.    By  S.  G.  W.  BENJAMIN.  Fourth 
Edition.                                With  56  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

18  Phoenicia.     By  Professor  GEORGE   RAWLINSON,  M.A. 
Third  Edition.  With  47  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

19  Media,    Babylon,    and    Persia:    From    the    Fall    of 
Nineveh  to  the  Persian  War.       By  ZENAIDE  A.  RAGOZIN. 
Fourth  Edition.  With  17  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

20  The  Hansa  Towns.      By  HELEN  ZIMMERN.          Third 
Edition.  With  51  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

21  Early  Britain.    By  Professor  ALFRED  J.  CHURCH,  M.A. 
Sixth  Impression.  With  57  Illustrations  and  Maps. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE 

22  The    Barbary    Corsairs.     By  STANLEY   LANE-POOLE. 
With    additions    by    J.    D.    KELLY.  Fourth 
Edition.                                With  39  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

23  Russia.     By   W.    R.    MORFILL,    M.A.  Fourth 
Edition.                                With  60  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

24  The  Jews  under  Roman  Rule.      By  W.  D.  MORRISON, 
Second  Impression.  With  61  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

25  Scotland:    From  the    Earliest  Times   to  the  Present 
Day.    By   JOHN    MACKINTOSH,    LL.D.  Fifth 
Impression.                         With  60  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

26  Switzerland.     By  LINA  HUG  and  R.  STEAD.     Third 
Impression.  With  over  54  Illustrations,  Maps,  etc. 

27  Mexico.     By    SUSAN    HALE.  Third 
Impression.                         With  47  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

28  Portugal.      By  H.  MORSE  STEPHENS,  M.A.          New 
Edition.     With  a  new  Chapter  by  Major  M.  HUME  and 
5  new  Illustrations.  Third    Impres- 
sion.                                    With  44  Illustrations   and  Maps. 

29  The    Normans.        Told   chiefly  in  Relation    to    their 
Conquest  of  England.     By  SARAH  ORNE  JEWETT.     Third 
Impression.  With  35  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

80  The   Byzantine  Empire.    By  C.  W.  C.  OMAN,  M.A. 

Third  Edition.  With  44  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

81  Sicily :   Phrenician.  Greek,  and  Roman.    By  Professor 
E.  A.  FREEMAN.    Third  Edition.        Writh  45  Illustrations. 

82  The  Tuscan  Republics  (Florence,  Siena,  Pisa,  Lucca) 
with    Genoa.  By  BELLA 
DUFFY.                              With  40  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

88   Poland.      By  W.  R.  MORFILL.  Third  Impres- 

sion. With  50  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

84    Parthia.     By  Professor  GEORGE  RAWLINSON.     Third 
Impression.  With  48  Illustrations  and  Maps. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  NATIONS-continued 

85  The  Australian  Commonwealth.  (New  South  Wales, 
Tasmania,  Western  Australia,  South  Australia,  Victoria, 
Queensland,  New  Zealand.)  By  GREVILLE  TREGARTHEN. 
Fifth  Impression.  With  86  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

36  Spain.  Being  a  Summary  of  Spanish  History  from 
the  Moorish  Conquest  to  the  Fall  of  Granada  (A.D. 
711-1492).  By  HENRY  EDWARD  WATTS.  Third 

Edition.  With  86   Illustrations   and   Maps. 

87  Japan.    By  DAVID  MURRAY,  Ph.D.,  LL.D.    With  a  new 
Chapter  by  JOSEPH  W.  LONGFORD.  85  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

88  South  Africa.    (The  Cape  Colony,  Natal,  Orange  Free 
State,  South   African  Republic,  Rhodesia,  and    all  other 
Territories    south    of   the    Zambesi.)      By    Dr.     GEORGE 
McCALL  THEAL,  D.Litt.,  LL.D.     Revised  and  brought  up  to 
date.    Eleventh  Impression.    With  89  Illustrations  and  Maps . 

89  Venice.      By   ALETHEA   WIEL.  Fifth 
Impression.                        With  61  Illustrations  and  a  Map. 

40  The  Crusades :   The  Story  of  the  Latin  Kingdom  of 
Jerusalem.    By    T.    A.    ARCHER    and    C.    L.  KINGSFORD. 
Third  Impression.  With  58  Illustrations  and  3  Maps. 

41  Vedic  India:     As  embodied   principally  in    the    Rig- 
Veda.  By    ZENA!DE    A.    RAGOZIN.  Third 
Edition.                           With    86    Illustrations    and    Maps. 

42  The    West    Indies    and    the    Spanish    Main.          By 
JAMES  RODWAY,  F.L.S.  Third 
Impression.                          With  48  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

48  Bohemia  :  From  the  Earliest  Times  to  the  Fall  of 
National  Independence  in  1620;  with  a  Short  Summary 
of  later  Events.  By  C.  EDMUND  MAURICE.  Second 
Impression.  With  41  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

44  The  Balkans  (Rumania,  Bulgaria,  Servia  and  Monte- 
negro). By  W.  MILLER,  M.A.  New  Edition.  With 
a  new  Chapter  containing  their  History  from  1296  to 
1908.  WTith  39  Illustrations  and  Maps. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE 

45  Canada.    By  Sir  JOHN   BOURINOT,   CJM.G.     With    63 
Illustrations  and  Maps.      Second  Edition.     With    a  new 
Map    and    revisions,    and    a    supplementary    Chapter    by 
EDWARD  PORRITT.  Third  Impression. 

46  British  India.     By    R.    W.    FRAZER,    LL.D.     Eighth 
Impression.  With  80  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

47  Modern  France,    1789-1895.         By    ANDRE    LEBON. 
With   26   Illustrations   and   a  Chronological  Chart   of  the 
Literary,    Artistic,    and    Scientific    Movement     in    Con- 
temporary France.  Fourth  Impression. 

48  The   Franks.     From  their  Origin  as  a  Confederacy  to 
the  Establishment    of  the   Kingdom   of  France  and    the 
German   Empire.  By  LEWIS    SERGEANT.  Second 
Edition.                            With  40   Illustrations  and  Maps. 

49  Austria.      By    SIDNEY    WHITMAN.     With    the   Colla- 
boration of  J.  R.  MCILRAITH.  Third 
Edition.                              With  35  Elustrations  and  a  Map. 

50  Modern    England    before    the    Reform    Bill.          By 
JUSTIN  MC-CARTHY.  With  81  Illustrations. 

51  China.    By  Professor  R. K.DOUGLAS.    Fourth  Edition. 
With     a    new    Preface.        51    Illustrations    and    a   Map. 
Revised    and  brought    up   to  date  by  IAN   C.  HANNAH. 

52  Modern  England  under  Queen  Victoria :   Prom  the 
Reform  Bill  to  the  Present  Time.    By  JUSTIN  MCCARTHY. 
Second   Edition.  With  46  Illustrations. 

58   Modem  Spain,  1878-1898.     By  MARTIN  A.  S.  HUME. 
Second  Impression.          With  37  Illustrations  and  a  Map. 

54  Modern    Italy,     1748-1898.       By   Professor    PIETRO 
ORSI.  With  over  40  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

55  Norway  :    From  the  Earliest  Times.        By  Professor 
HJALMAR   H.    BOYESEN.        With    a    Chapter   by   C.    F. 
KEARY.  With  77  Illustrations  and  Maps. 

56  Wales.    By  OWEN  EDWARDS.      With   47   Illustrations 
and  7  Maps.  Fifth  Impression. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE 

57  Mediaeval  Rome  :  From   Hildebrand  to  Clement  VIII, 
1073-1535.    By  WILLIAM  MILLER.     With  35  Illustrations. 

58  The  Papal  Monarchy:   From  Gregory  the  Great  to 
Boniface  VIII.       By  WILLIAM  BARRY,  D.D.          Second 
Impression.  With  61   Illustrations  and  Maps. 

59  Mediaeval    India    under    Mohammedan    Rule.       By 
STANLEY    LANE-POOLE.  With   59    Illus- 
trations.                                                   Twelfth  Impression. 

60  Parliamentary    England :     The     Evolution     of     the 
Cabinet    System,    1660-1832.  By    EDWARD 
JENKS.                                                  With   47    Illustrations. 

61  Buddhist  India.     By  T.  W.  RHYS  DAVIDS.     Fourth 
Impression.  With  57   Illustrations  and  Maps. 

62  Mediaeval    England,    1066-1350.  By    MARY 
BATESON.                                               With  93  Illustrations. 

63  The    Coming   of  Parliament.    (England,  1350-1660.) 
By  L.  CECIL  JANE.          With  51  Illustrations  and  a  Map. 

64  The    Story    of    Greece:    From    the    Earliest   Times 
to   A.D.    14.  By  E.    S.    SHUCK- 
BURGH.                   With  2  Maps  and  about  70  Illustrations. 

65  The  Story  of  the  Roman  Empire.  (29  B.C.  to  A.D. 
476.)      By    H.    STUART   JONES.  Tliird 
Impression.                         With  a  Map  and  52  Illustrations. 

66  Sweden    and    Denmark.     With  Chapters  on  Finland 
and   Iceland.  By   JON 
STEFANSSON.                     With  Maps  and  40  Illustrations. 

67  Belgium.      (See    page    2    for    special    announcement.) 

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